Failure to thrive
Failure to thrive or unexplained weight loss is not a disorder, but a symptom of a specific disease. Sometimes a child is referred to a gastroenterologist in order to find out the cause for weight loss or failure to thrive — specifically if the child has stopped growing as noted by the primary care physician, is below the normal percentile for growth, or has lost weight and failed to meet growth milestones. Typically the symptom occurs in infants and toddlers, but some older children might also experience it.
Children with failure to thrive usually have one of these underlying diagnosis:
- Social factors
- GI illnesses such as reflux, diarrhea, celiac disease or other malabsorption disorders
- Milk intolerance
- Metabolic disorders
- Infection
- Other chronic illnesses
After meeting with a gastroenterologist, a child and his family might be referred to a dietitian for help with meeting caloric intakes, setting goals, and gaining a better understanding about a proper nutritional diet. In some instances the dietitian is present in the outpatient area during your appointment with the gastroenterologist, and it may be possible to arrange the appointment jointly. Sometimes the expertise of a speech therapist may be needed if a child has swallowing/sucking problems.
To make an appointment with a gastroenterologist, please call our main office at 773.880.4354.