A Childs Journey - Growth Charts

Question 1

What are the 3 parameters of physical measurement?

Answer 1

• Weight (grams and kg)
• Length (cm) or height (if >2 years)
• Head circumference (cm)

Question 2

Where is information about growth stored?

Answer 2

Information is put on growth charts to compare to normal (rest of population)

Question 3

What is the mean weight for children at:

• birth
• 4 months
• 12 months
• 3 years

Answer 3

• Birth
  
  • 3.3kg
• 4 months
  
  • 6.6kg
• 12 months
  
  • 10kg
• 3 years
  
  • 15kg

Question 4

What is the mean length of children at:

• birth
• 4 months
• 12 months
• 3 years

Answer 4

• Birth
  
  • 50cm
• 4 months
  
  • 60cm
• 12 months
  
  • 75cm
• 3 years
  
  • 95cm

Question 5

What is the mean occipital-frontal circumferance of children at:

• birth
• 12 months

Answer 5

• Birth
  
  • 35cm
• 12 months
  
  • 45cm

Question 6

What is a centile?

Answer 6

Centile = % division of reference population sampled

Question 7

What is the 50th centile?

Answer 7

If talking about 0.4 centile, if you take 1000 average health children, 4 are below this point and 996 are above

Question 8

What does FTT stand for?

Answer 8

Failure to thrive

Question 9

What is failure to thrive?

Answer 9

This is child growing too slowly in form and usually in function at the expected rate for his or her age:

• Means supply of energy is less than demand for energy

Question 10

What is the aetiology of failure to thrive?

Answer 10

• Deficient intake (most commonly)
  
  • Maternal
    
    • Poor lactation
    • Incorrectly prepared feeds
    • Unusual milk or other feeds
    • Inadequate care
  • Infant
    
    • Prematurity
    • Small for dates
    • Oro palatal abnormalities (such as cleft palate)
    • Neuromuscular disease (such as cerebral palsy)
    • Genetic disorders
• Increased metabolic demands
  
  • Think of each organ system – examples are congenital lung diseases, heart disease, liver disease, renal disease, infection, anaemia
• Excessive nutrient loss
  
  • Gastro oesophageal reflux
  • Pyloric stenosis
  • Gastroenteritis
  • Malabsorption – food allergy, persistent diarrhoea, coeliac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, short bowel syndrome
• Non-medical causes
  
  • Poverty/socio-economic status
  • Dysfunctional family interactions
  • Difficult parent-child interactions
  • Lack of parental support (such as no friends or extended family)
  • Lack of preparation for parenting/education
  • Child neglect
  • Emotional deprivation
  • Poor feeding

Question 11

What is the most common cause of failure to thrive?

Answer 11

Deficient intake

Question 12

What are possible causes of deficient intake?

Answer 12

• Maternal
  
  • Poor lactation
  • Incorrectly prepared feeds
  • Unusual milk or other feeds
  • Inadequate care
• Infant
  
  • Prematurity
  • Small for dates
  • Oro palatal abnormalities (such as cleft palate)
  • Neuromuscular disease (such as cerebral palsy)
  • Genetic disorders

Question 13

What are possible causes of inceased metabolic demands?

Answer 13

• Think of each organ system – examples are congenital lung diseases, heart disease, liver disease, renal disease, infection, anaemia

Question 14

What are possible causes of excessive nutrient loss?

Answer 14

• Gastro oesophageal reflux
• Pyloric stenosis
• Gastroenteritis
• Malabsorption – food allergy, persistent diarrhoea, coeliac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, short bowel syndrome

Question 15

What are possible non-medical causes of failure to thrive?

Answer 15

• Poverty/socio-economic status
• Dysfunctional family interactions
• Difficult parent-child interactions
• Lack of parental support (such as no friends or extended family)
• Lack of preparation for parenting/education
• Child neglect
• Emotional deprivation
• Poor feeding

Question 16

Describe the process to diagnose failure to thrive?

Answer 16