

The body can use up a lot of calories as it fights an infection. Kids with conditions involving the heart, lungs, or endocrine system might need more calories than other kids. For example, milk protein intolerance means the body can’t absorb foods such as yogurt and cheese, which could lead to failure to thrive. A food intolerance means the body is sensitive to some foods. Conditions like gastroesophageal reflux (GER), chronic diarrhea, cystic fibrosis, chronic liver disease, and celiac disease can make it harder for kids to absorb enough nutrients and calories to gain weight. Problems with the digestive system can prevent a child from gaining weight. Health problems involving the digestive system.This might be due to a developmental delay, being a very picky eater, a medical condition that affects swallowing (like cerebral palsy or a cleft palate), or a condition like autism in which kids don’t like eating foods with some textures or tastes. Some children have trouble eating enough food. And sometimes parents miss their children’s hunger cues. Some families have trouble affording enough food for their children. Problems with breastfeeding or starting solids also can cause failure to thrive. Sometimes a parent or caregiver measures or mixes formula incorrectly, so an infant doesn’t get enough calories. What Causes Failure to Thrive?ĭifferent things can cause failure to thrive, including: So kids with failure to thrive might start to walk and talk later than other kids, and can have trouble learning in school. Kids need to get enough calories to learn and develop well. When kids can’t gain weight, they also often may not grow as tall as they should. In general, kids who fail to thrive are not getting enough calories to grow and gain weight in a healthy way. Rather, it’s a sign that a child is undernourished. When growing kids don’t gain weight as they should, it is called “failure to thrive.”įailure to thrive is not a disease or disorder itself.
