Failure to Thrive: Toddlers & Infants

Speakers: Patrick Jones, MD & Tanbeena Imam, MD

There is great inter-provider variability amongst outpatient general pediatricians in how failure to thrive patients are evaluated. Ideally, the diagnostic process would be streamlined to minimize variation and improve patient outcomes by minimizing low-yield, high-cost testing and implementing evidence-based treatment strategies.

This presentation will review definitions of failure to thrive, present a standardized approach that minimizes low-yield testing and review treatment strategies for weight gain as well as recognize the multifactorial nature of failure to thrive.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn standard definitions of failure to thrive

• Recognize signs and symptoms associated with FTT

• Identify potential etiologies and differential diagnoses

• Understand multifactorial nature of poor weight gain

• Determine laboratory work-up and ancillary approach for the individual patient

• Identify indications for treatment escalation

• Consider a suggested algorithm of diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and referral