Failure to thrive

A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Feeding and Growth of Infants With Cleft Lip and/or Palate

Objective:

The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to improve feeding and growth outcomes in infants with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P).

Design:

Institute for Healthcare Improvement quality improvement model.

Setting:

Large pediatric academic medical center in the Midwestern United States.

Participants:

One hundred forty-five infants with nonsyndromic CL/P ages 0 to 12 months.

Interventions:

Key drivers included (1) caregiver education and resources, (2) care coordination and flow, and (3) provider education and training. Interventions were designed around these themes and included targeting improved team communication, increased social work consultations, patient tracking, staff education, improved access to feeding equipment, and the launch of a new cleft palate feeding team.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

The primary outcome measure was the percentage of new patients with CL/P who met criteria for failure to thrive (FTT) per month. The secondary outcome measure was the frequency of hospitalization for infants with CL/P with a primary reason for admission of feeding difficulties or FTT.

Results:

The institutional FTT rate for infants with CL/P decreased from 17% to 7% ( P < .003). The frequency of hospitalization for FTT improved from once every 30 days to once every 118 days.

Conclusions:

Targeted interventions aimed at improving feeding efficiency and effectiveness, as well as changes in care delivery models, can reliably promote improvements in feeding and growth outcomes for infants with CL/P, even with psychosocial risk factors present.

Assessment of Growth and Development in Children With Hepatitis B Positivity

Background

Chronic infections and liver diseases may influence the growth and development of children by leading to malnutrition. In this study, demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements and laboratory findings for children with hepatitis B positivity were analyzed.

Methods

A total of 43 cases were admitted to our clinic between January 2012 and February 2013 and detected to have HBsAg positivity.

Results

Malnutrition was detected in 11 cases (25.6%) and obesity in three cases (6.9%). Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were significantly higher in malnourished patients compared to those without malnutrition. The weight to height was significantly higher in patients with positive HBeAg compared to children with negative HBeAg. We found that the weight standard deviation scores (SDS) ratios dropped as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and AST levels increased and height SDS ratios decreased. In addition, body mass index (BMI) decreased as AST and alpha feto protein (AFP) values increased. While a significant relationship was not detected between insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and ALT, a significantly negative correlation was detected between IGFBP-3 and IGF-1 and AST. We found a malnutrition rate of 25.6% in children with HBsAg positivity. We also found that weight and height SDS rates decreased as ALT and AST levels increased. In addition, we detected that BMI decreased as AST and AFP values increased.

Conclusion

We consider that hepatic inflammation is the factor that affects growth. Monitoring of growth and development during follow-up of children who are detected to have HBsAg positivity would be beneficial to determine the mechanism and causes of growth retardation.

Five Arab children with glucose-galactose malabsorption

Five children with glucose-galactose malabsorption (GGM) are presented. Two infants from Saudi Arabia were first-degree relatives, the third infant was unrelated and the other two were of Yemeni and Syrian origin, respectively. All the infants had chronic diarrhoea and four had failed to thrive since early infancy. All had stools positive for reducing substances, and sugar chromatography showed glucose and galactose malabsorption. Small bowel biopsies were normal in all. One infant developed gangrene of both legs as a complication of hypernatraemia and dehydration, necessitating bilateral amputation. Two infants had nephrolithiasis. All the infants responded well to fructose-based formulae. GGM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic diarrhoea in infants breastfed or artificially fed from early life.

Leitsymptome und Differenzialdiagnostik

Die Vorstellung eines Kindes mit akuten Bauchschmerzen erfolgt meist kurz nach Schmerzbeginn, nicht selten nachts und zu Zeiten eingeschränkter Diagnostik. Erschwert ist die Diagnosefindung durch fehlende Verbalisierung der Schmerzen bei Kleinkindern und Säuglingen sowie durch vage und wenig präzise Angaben zu Schmerzcharakter und Lokalisation bei älteren Kindern.

Failure to thrive in childhood

BACKGROUND

Failure to thrive impairs children's weight gain and growth, their defenses against infection, and their psychomotor and intellectual development.

METHODS

This paper is a review of pertinent articles that were published from 1995 to October 2010 and contained the terms "failure to thrive", "underweight", "malnutrition", "malabsorption", "maldigestion" and "refeeding syndrome". The articles were retrieved by a search in the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases.

RESULTS

In developed countries, failure to thrive is usually due to an underlying disease. The degree of malnutrition is assessed with anthropometric techniques. For each patient, the underlying disease must be identified and the mechanism of failure to thrive understood, so that proper medical and nutritional treatment can be provided. Nutritional treatment involves either giving more food, or else raising the caloric density of the patient's food. Liquid formulas can be given as a supplement to normal meals or as balanced or unbalanced tube feeds; they can be given orally, through a nasogastric tube, or through a gastrostomy tube. Severely malnourished children with poor oral intake should be treated with parenteral nutrition. To avoid refeeding syndrome in severely malnourished children, food intake should be increased slowly at first, and phosphate, magnesium, and potassium supplements should be given.

CONCLUSION

The proper treatment of failure to thrive in childhood consists of treatment of the underlying illness, combined with nutritional treatment that addresses the mechanism of the accompanying failure to thrive.

Feeding interventions for growth and development in infants with cleft lip, cleft palate or cleft lip and palate

BACKGROUND

Cleft lip and cleft palate are common birth defects, affecting about one baby of every 700 born. Feeding these babies is an immediate concern and there is evidence of delay in growth of children with a cleft as compared to those without clefting. In an effort to combat reduced weight for height, a variety of advice and devices are recommended to aid feeding of babies with clefts.

OBJECTIVES

This review aims to assess the effects of these feeding interventions in babies with cleft lip and/or palate on growth, development and parental satisfaction.

SEARCH STRATEGY

The following electronic databases were searched: the Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register (to 27 October 2010), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2010, Issue 4), MEDLINE via OVID (1950 to 27 October 2010), EMBASE via OVID (1980 to 27 October 2010), PsycINFO via OVID (1950 to 27 October 2010) and CINAHL via EBSCO (1980 to 27 October 2010). Attempts were made to identify both unpublished and ongoing studies. There was no restriction with regard to language of publication.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Studies were included if they were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of feeding interventions for babies born with cleft lip, cleft palate or cleft lip and palate up to the age of 6 months (from term).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Studies were assessed for relevance independently and in duplicate. All studies meeting the inclusion criteria were data extracted and assessed for validity independently by each member of the review team. Authors were contacted for clarification or missing information whenever possible.

MAIN RESULTS

Five RCTs with a total of 292 babies, were included in the review. Comparisons made within the RCTs were squeezable versus rigid feeding bottles (two studies), breastfeeding versus spoon-feeding (one study) and maxillary plate versus no plate (two studies). No statistically significant differences were shown for any of the primary outcomes when comparing bottle types, although squeezable bottles were less likely to require modification. No difference was shown for infants fitted with a maxillary plate compared to no plate. However, there was some evidence of an effect on weight at 6 weeks post-surgery in favour of breastfeeding when compared to spoon-feeding (mean difference 0.47; 95% confidence interval 0.20 to 0.74).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Squeezable bottles appear easier to use than rigid feeding bottles for babies born with clefts of the lip and/or palate, however, there is no evidence of a difference in growth outcomes between the bottle types. There is weak evidence that breastfeeding is better than spoon-feeding following surgery for cleft. There was no evidence to suggest that maxillary plates assist growth in babies with clefts of the palate. No evidence was found to assess the use of any types of maternal advice and/or support for these babies.

Nutritional status of children with chronic hepatitis B in a population with low socioeconomic status

OBJECTIVE

Chronic infections and liver diseases may lead to malnutrition. However, growth failure is rarely reported in chronic hepatitis B. We aimed to establish the nutritional status of children with chronic hepatitis B and the relation between anthropometric data and laboratory findings in a population with low socioeconomic status.

METHODS

Anthropometrical and laboratory findings were noted from the hospital records. Cases with and without malnutrition were compared with regard to sex, age, histological activity (HAI) scores, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, protein, albumin, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels.

RESULTS

Eighty children, of which 36 (45%) were girls, with a mean age of 11.5+/-3.2 years were enrolled in the study. Malnutrition was found in 39 (49%). Acute malnutrition (24 out of 39, 61.5%) was the most common form. There was no difference of age or sex between children with and without malnutrition. Age of diagnosis was higher and duration of follow-up was shorter in cases with malnutrition (P = 0.051 and P = 0.016, respectively). In children with malnutrition, aspartate aminotransferase levels were significantly higher but other laboratory results were not different. Malnutrition rate was not different between groups that did and did not receive treatment or that did and did not respond to treatment. Anthropometrical data and malnutrition rate was similar in children with high and low HAI scores.

CONCLUSION

As features suggesting severe liver disease like high alanine aminotransferase values, HAI scores, or HBV DNA levels were not different in children with and without malnutrition, it may be proposed that chronic HBV infection does not have an effect on nutritional status.

Diagnosis on a positive fashion of nonorganic failure to thrive

AIMS

To study the predictive value of predefined symptoms and signs for allocating children into one of two groups: nonorganic and organic failure to thrive.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Two hundred eight outpatients (6 months-14 years old) suffering from failure to thrive (FTT) were included in the study. Predefined symptoms and signs were considered as potential predictors of organic/nonorganic failure to thrive. All patients underwent an established diagnostic work up in order to exclude organic causes of FTT.

RESULTS

The percentage of patients without any organic symptom (negative predictive value), who were diagnosed as NOFTT was 92%; the percentage of patients having nonorganic symptoms only (positive predictive value), who were diagnosed as NOFTT was 96%, while their absence does not exclude a NOFTT diagnosis as well (negative predictive value = 41%).

CONCLUSION

The detection of at least one nonorganic symptom or sign, with the exclusion of any organic symptom, can support a diagnosis of nonorganic FTT and therefore only few laboratory investigations seem to be warranted.

Appropriateness of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in children: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) is appropriate in many situations in adults and children. Recommendations for UGIE use in children were published recently by the French-language Paediatric Hepatology, Gastroenterology, and Nutrition Group (GFHGNP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the 293 UGIE procedures undertaken in 251 children between January 1, 2001 and June 30, 2003 by 2 senior endoscopists. The UGIE procedures were categorized as appropriate or inappropriate based on GFHGNP recommendations, and diagnostic efficiency was compared in the 2 groups with the chi2 test followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 293 UGIE procedures, 52 (17.7%) were considered inappropriate. Diagnostic efficiency was 51% in the appropriate group versus 17.3% in the inappropriate group (odds ratio, 4.2; 95% CI, 2-8.7; P < 10(-3)). The proportion of appropriate UGIE procedures was higher among inpatients than outpatients (odds ratio, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.24-5.08; P = 0.01). Inappropriate reasons for performing UGIE included isolated failure to thrive and follow-up after neonatal esophagogastroduodenitis. Nine inappropriate UGIE procedures contributed useful information: ulcerative esophagitis in 1 patient, hemorrhagic esophagitis in 4 patients, duodenitis in 1 patient, and malabsorption in 3 patients caused in 1 case by cow's milk allergy and in 2 cases to fully documented celiac disease.

CONCLUSIONS

UGIE was usually performed appropriately in our pediatric hospital. Inappropriate UGIE procedures were more common in outpatients than in admitted patients. Awareness of the recommendations for appropriate UGIE use needs to be improved among office-based and hospital-based physicians.

Weight monitoring of breastfed babies in the United Kingdom--interpreting, explaining and intervening

Weighing infants in their first 6 months is an important aspect of growth monitoring and a common activity of child health care services worldwide. During the same 6 months, support for establishing breastfeeding and the promotion of continued exclusive breastfeeding are important activities of health professionals. Parents and health professionals may perceive conflicts between achieving both robust growth and continuing breastfeeding. In this narrative review, the literature on weighing breastfed babies in the United Kingdom is examined. A companion paper examined issues of growth charts, scales and weighing frequency and accuracy. This paper considers issues of interpretation of the plotted weight values for individual breastfed babies, noting the complexities of growth patterns, which may lead to difficulties of accurate identification of those individuals whose growth merits further investigation. Little attention has been given to issues of explaining the interpreted growth curves to parents and this issue is explored and noted as of importance for further study. Research evidence on choosing appropriate interventions to improve the growth of breastfed babies is reviewed. The paucity of such evidence leads to suggestions for future study. This review gathers together a wide range of literature from many different perspectives, with the hope of informing weight monitoring practice so that this can both identify infants whose weight may be of concern, and who may need appropriate intervention, and support continued breastfeeding.

Postnatal depression and faltering growth: a community study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between faltering growth in children and maternal postnatal depression.

METHODS

Children aged < or =2 years were identified from community child health surveillance records if their weights fell across 2 centile channels on standardized growth charts or fell below the second centile. Mothers of these index children were invited to complete the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Those who scored above threshold values on either scale were interviewed with the revised Clinical Interview Schedule. Matched control children were obtained from health visitor records, and records of their weights were obtained. Mothers of control children completed the same questionnaires.

RESULTS

A total of 196 index children and 567 control children were studied. Significantly more mothers in the index group scored above the threshold for both the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (33% vs 22%; odds ratio [OR]: 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-2.53) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (24% vs 13%; OR: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.33-3.25) questionnaires. Furthermore, clinical interviews with these mothers demonstrated that 21% of the index group and 11% of the control group fulfilled criteria for depressive episode (OR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.21-2.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Depression in mothers of children with faltering growth during the first 2 years of life is significantly greater than in mothers of children who are gaining weight appropriately. In view of the high rates of maternal depression in children with poor weight gain, clinical management at presentation of either problem should focus on both members of the mother-child dyad and on the interaction between mother and child. These findings have implications for all professionals who work in primary and secondary health care.

Feeding interventions for growth and development in infants with cleft lip, cleft palate or cleft lip and palate

BACKGROUND

Cleft lip and cleft palate are common birth defects, affecting about one baby of every 700 born. Feeding these babies is an immediate concern and there is evidence of delay in growth of children with a cleft as compared to those without clefting. In an effort to combat reduced weight for height, a variety of advice and devices are recommended to aid feeding of babies with clefts.

OBJECTIVES

This review aims to assess the effects of these feeding interventions in babies with cleft lip and/or palate on growth, development and parental satisfaction.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials register (June 2001), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2004), MEDLINE (1966 to May 24th 2004), EMBASE (1980 to August 7th 2002), CINAHL (1982 to August 7th 2002), PsychINFO (1967 to August 13th 2002), AMED (1985 to August 13th 2002). Attempts were made to identify both unpublished and ongoing studies. There was no restriction with regard to language of publication.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Studies were included if they were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of feeding interventions for babies born with cleft lip, cleft palate or cleft lip and palate up to the age of 6 months (from term).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Studies were assessed for relevance independently and in duplicate. All studies meeting the inclusion criteria were data extracted and assessed for validity independently by each member of the review team. Authors were contacted for clarification or missing information whenever possible.

MAIN RESULTS

Four RCTs with a total of 232 babies, were included in the review. Comparisons made within the RCTs were squeezable versus rigid feeding bottles (two studies), breastfeeding versus spoon-feeding (one study) and maxillary plate versus no plate (one study). No statistically significant differences were shown for any of the primary outcomes when comparing bottle types, although squeezable bottles were less likely to require modification. No statistically significant difference was shown for infants fitted with a maxillary plate compared to no plate. A statistically significant difference in weight (kg) at 6 weeks post-surgery was shown in favour of breastfeeding when compared to spoon-feeding (mean difference 0.47; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.74).

REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS

Squeezable bottles appear easier to use than rigid feeding bottles for babies born with clefts of the lip and/or palate, however, there is no evidence of a difference in growth outcomes between the bottle types. There is weak evidence that babies should be breastfed rather than spoon-fed following surgery for cleft lip. No evidence was found to assess the use of any types of maternal advice and/or support for these babies.

The effects of infant feeding decisions on infant growth

ISSUES AND PURPOSE

To determine the effects of feeding decisions on infant growth in the first 6 months of life.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Growth measurements were collected twice during the first 6 months of infancy as part of a larger investigation of infant feeding practices (N = 52).

RESULTS

Infants who received solid foods before the age of 4 to 6 months weighed less than those who received solid foods after 4 to 6 months. There were no differences in growth measurements between formula-fed and breast-fed infants, although breast-fed infants weighed more at birth.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Emphasize the importance of feeding breast milk (preferably) or formula only for the first 6 months. Advise parents to withhold fruit juices until the infant is at least 6 months old.

G(z alpha) deficient mice: enzyme levels in the autonomic nervous system, neuronal survival and effect of genetic background

Our laboratory has generated a genetically mutant mouse in which the alpha subunit of the heterotrimeric GTP binding protein, G(z) has been made dysfunctional by homologous recombination to determine its in vivo function. These animals show a characteristic failure to thrive phenotype. G(z alpha) is expressed in a variety of nervous system tissues as well as in the adrenal medulla. We therefore examined the autonomic nervous system of the G(z alpha) deficient mouse by measuring the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase and choline acetyltransferase in the superior cervical ganglia, submaxillary gland and the adrenal medulla. Preliminary results using animals of mixed BALB/c and C57BL/6 strains gave inconsistent results. Further experiments demonstrated differences in the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase and choline acetyltransferase between BALB/c and C57BL/6 mouse strains. The analysis of the pure strains showed a reduction in the size and enzyme levels of the adrenal gland and submaxillary glands of the G(z alpha) deficient mouse suggesting a role for adrenal insufficiency and/or nutritional disorders for the failure to thrive phenotype. The survival of sympathetic and sensory neurons was also examined in the G(z alpha) deficient mouse and in the presence of pertussis toxin, sympathetic but not sensory neuronal survival in G(z alpha) deficient mice was significantly attenuated. This suggests that in vivo other pertussis toxin sensitive G proteins may be recruited to compensate for the loss of G(z alpha).

Nutritional gains of underprivileged children attending a day care center in S.Paulo City, Brazil: a nine month follow-up study

The efficacy of a well-operated day care center in providing better nutrition to poor children in Brazil was assessed. We collected data for 9 months from 180 under-five children attending a day care center located in a slum. Every working day each child received at least 100% of the age-group recommended dietary allowances plus iron fortified milk and, every six months, treatment for helminth infections. Statistical analyses were restricted to the 168 children (93%) who had measurements from at least five months. As outcome variables, weight-for-height, height-for-age, and weight-for-age Z scores were dichotomized so that a Z score < -1 indicated a child was at risk of malnutrition. We examined the proportion of children at nutritional risk in each month and used multivariate statistical techniques to adjust for confounding and to account for intra-subject correlation. The percentage of children at nutritional risk decreased over time, from 10.1% to 3.4% for weight for height, 29.8% to 15.2 % for weight for age, and from 50.0% to 44.8% for height for age. Most of the reduction took place between the third and fourth months of enrollment. The correlated data models for the three dichotomized outcomes showed a two to three-fold reduction in the occurrence of wasting and underweight. We concluded that attendance to well-operated daycare protects against nutritional risk, and approximately four months are required for a benefit to be seen.

FAILURE TO THRIVE

Failure to thrive is a commonly encountered problem in Paediatric practice. This essentially generic term refers to children whose attained weight or rate of weight gain is significantly below that of other children of similar age and same sex. Several defining criteria have been proposed and help to differentiate true failure to thrive from other conditions causing apparent growth failure. There are numerous organic causes of failure to thrive, but non-organic failure to thrive is also an important entity and is caused by social, psychological and environmental factors. The clinical features are those of malnutrition, signs of underlying organic cause and specific manifestations of environmental/psychosocial deprivation. Indiscriminate laboratory investigations are usually non-contributory and have no role in evaluation. Management requires a multidisciplinary approach and hospitalization has a specific role. Although nutritional rehabilitation is the cornerstone of therapy, treatment of underlying factors-medical, psychological, social and environmental-should receive equally important attention. Long term physical, developmental and behavioural sequelae are known to occur in children with failure to thrive.

Congenital glucose-galactose malabsorption in Arab children

Eight children with chronic diarrhea from glucose-galactose malabsorption from eight different families are presented. Six children are Saudi Arabs and two are of the other Arab nationalities. The mean age of the children at the time of presentation was 10.6 months. They were first seen for chronic watery diarrhea, present since birth, and failure to thrive. Laboratory investigations, including small-bowel biopsy, histology, and small-bowel enzyme assay, confirmed the diagnosis of glucose-galactose malabsorption. One child had a renal stone at the first visit, and another was discovered to have one on follow-up. All the children responded clinically to fructose-based formula, and they are thriving at follow-up.

Nutritional management of failure to thrive

Failure to thrive, or failure to grow or gain weight, could have several causes that are reviewed in this article. Infant behaviors are discussed, together with nutritional management, catch-up growth, effects of nutritional rehabilitation on body composition, follow-up, and long-term prognosis.