Has anyones child been diagnosed with failure to thrive?

[TwosaCrowd]

Really worried DS2 has this. He was born on the 50th centile, then has slowly been dropping centiles till he is now just above the 0.4th. Last Wednesday we had him weighed and he was 11lbs 13.5oz at 17weeks, then re weighed the following Tuesday and he had dropped to 11lbs 9oz, a loss of 4.5oz. Re weighed yesterday and he's gained 1oZ, still just above 0.4th centile. He was bf till 8wo when he just refused to feed at all, was admitted to childrens hospital for dehydration and started feeding from a bottle so we switched to that.

He has green poos and has recently started on lactose free milk (nutramigen lipil) and still has green poos on it.

He's also just had bronchiolitis, A&E doctor said it could be failure to thrive, but my GP doesn't think so.

I kicked off in A&E that they were just going to discharge us back to the GP and the doctor set up an appointment in 'hot clinic' with the consultant paediatrician.

DS1 never had similar problems, bf to 6mo and followed the 75th centile.

[TheIncidentalGoat]

Twosacrowd. Sorry that you're worried about your ds. Failure to thrive is just a term HCPs use to describe a baby who isn't gaining weight in the usual way (usually when they've crossed two centiles) It could be as a result of many different things.

Is he taking enough and how is he when he feeds? Does he seem comfortable and happy or is it an on/off thing? Is he vomity?

Given that he's had a period of true weight loss and not just a settling through the centiles it really does warrant further investigation, so it's good you're seeing the paeds. When will that be?

My dd was initially dxd with FTF she fell from the 98th over a period of about 8 weeks then had a two week period of true weight loss. It turned out that she had an underlying health condition. Her poo was dark green and mucousy as she wasn't digesting properly.

[WrongWayWound]

You could be writing about my ds.

He turned out to be allergy to cow's milk protein (I'd never heard of it, so didn't guess). Even the first milk, nutramagin, still caused green poo and only reduced the symptoms to avoid dehydration.

He started Neocate milk (look it up) at 5 months, he gained 1.5kg THAT MONTH, looked so much healthier and crawled within 4 weeks of starting it! Previously we'd been discussing developmental delay.

He had a lot of chest infections too, but they cleared with weight gain and the drying up of mucus. Also he'd been developing eczema, which nearly cleared completely. Just ask to give Neocate a go, I was so lucky, a kind sole on here sent me some in the post so I'd tried before requesting it.

I remember how worried I was, I was in bits, but it's a distant memory now. He outgrew all allergies.

[PartyConfused]

It is a horrible term. My dd2 was diagnosed with this. I hate it. She has a very different story to your ds as she was always teeny tiny (still is at nearly 2).

So far, despite every referral to all sorts of consultants and every test and investgation going; she is fine.

Try not to take the term to heart. It was this phrase that i found so personal.

[Asleeponasunbeam]

I think they're supposed to use the term 'faltering growth' now, which is more accurate and less inflammatory.

Both of mine were declared FTT according to HV charts, but both seen regularly by supportive GP, BF support and hospital paediatrician (who laughed at the happy, healthy, thriving child, with high birthweight and small parent they saw in front of them).

Obviously this is just our story. If you're worried, get him seen by a paediatrician.

[Rinkydinkypink]

Yes dd was just like this. Finally put on Neocate for allergy and is doing just fine.

[BarbarianMum]

I must admit I thought "cows milk protein" allergy too on reading your post.

I would say that dropping percentiles isn't necessarily a prob if child is always gaining weight and otherwise healthy but weight loss needs an explanation. And CMP allergy is the obvious plsce to start.

[PotteringAlong]

My DS2 has just been diagnosed with FTT according to HV charts but has been declared perfectly healthy. He is putting on weight though, just very very slowly.

[Millie2013]

I was, as a 2yo, 30 something years ago. I had whooping cough, dropped weight and was given the label some time after, as I just didn't pick up. No underlying cause was identified back then. I was in 3yo clothes as a 5yo, but was otherwise healthy. I just didn't have a big appetite, but I had a healthy (enough) diet
I was always a v skinny child after this and I'm still petite as an adult, but I'm perfectly healthy

[McKitten84]

I was given this label also, as a baby I never ate or drunk anything, admitted me to hospital to force feed and I threw it back up on them (proudly proving my dm was actually feeding me not neglecting me). Eventually diagnosed with a serious health issues after much fighting with hospitals and gp. But years and years on I am perfectly healthy, so please if you are not happy with what the hospital are telling you, question it.