Failure to gain weight or height Flashcards
Normal growth - 3 key phases
- Infancy - age 2: very rapid, dependent on birthweight, feeding and health
- Age 2 - puberty: grow 5cm/yr, dependent on growth hormone and health
- Puberty: grow 12.5cm/yr, dependent on timing of puberty and health
Height measurement tips
- Without shoes
- Heels and back touching wall
- Look straight ahead
- Gentle but firm pressure upwards applied to mastoids from underneath
- US/ LS ratio
- Total arm span
What is upper segment: lower segment ratio?
Upper to lower segment ratio (U/L) reflects trunk vs legs ratio, where lower segment is the distance from the middle of pubic symphysis to the floor level and upper segment is height minus lower segment
At birth, U/L is about 1.7:1 or trunk longer than legs - decreases to 1:1 from age 10
How is age most accurately measured in infancy?
- Most accurate plot in infancy is to calculate the number of weeks of age by total number of days of age then divide by 7 (rather than estimating the number of weeks from age in months)
Definition of short stature
= height 2 standard deviations below average height
A perceived or real impairment of linear growth
What is target height?
TH is a term used for the expected height of a child given the heights of the parent
Boys: (Father’s height (cm) + Mother’s height + 13cm) / 2
Girls: (Father’s height (cm) + Mother’s height - 13cm) / 2
Endocrine causes of short stature
- Isolated growth hormone deficiency
- Hypothyroidism
- Hypopituitarism
- Adrenal excess e.g. CAH
- Post cranial irradiation hypopituitarism
Causes of failure to thrive
Aspects of the consultation if child has FTT
FTT Hx
- Dietary: keep a food diary, formula feeds, check volume and preparation, mealtimes (when, where, with who?)
- Pregnancy/ birth: maternal health during pregnancy, foetal growth, neonatal problems
- PMHx: illnesses, hospital admissions, symptoms of reflux, vomiting, stools
- Family and social hx: who lives at home, family difficulties, medical conditions and growth in parents, siblings
FTT: examination
- Plot height, weight and head circumference
- Dysmorphic features
- General and systems exam
- Poor suck or motor skills
- Watch parent/ carer feed child
FTT: investigations
1st line:
- Bloods: FBC, ESR, CRP, U&E, glucose, TFTs, coeliac serology
- Congenital infection screen
- Sweat test
2nd line:
- Metabolic disease: serum amino acids, carnitine ammonia, blood gas, urine organic acids
- Lead level
- Genetic karyotype
- CXR
- ECG/ echo
FTT: diagnosis
- Hx and examination usually more important than tests
- Many cases are non-organic
- Detailed hx of feeding pattern usually helpful
- Understand the complex physical and emotional issues in successful infant feeding
FTT: management
- Assessment for pathological cause
- Feeding plan
- Education and support to parents/ carers
- Inpatient observation of feeding and weight gain
- Work with safeguarding teams in health and social care
What is a neonate?
Birth - 28 days
What is an infant?
28 days - 1yr
What is a toddler?
1-3yrs
What is a young child?
4-6yrs
What is an older child?
7-10yrs
What is an adolescent?
11-17yrs