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Failure to thrive
Failure of an infant or child to gain weight appropriately. The best way to know if your child is gaining weight appropriately is to compare weight and length with published standards. These standards allow you to know how your child compares to other children of the same gender and age. The most common reason that children don't gain weight properly is that they do not receive enough calories. You might consider keeping a diary of your child's caloric intake so that your child's doctor can compare it to your child's needs. There are some illnesses that result in poor utilization of calories. Your child's doctor should be able to screen for these. They include many medical problems, which are fortunately rare. Chronic infections, hormone problems, and many others may present as failure to thrive. Your doctor's task can distinguish between a normally small child, inadequate caloric intake and medical conditions. Finally, there are some children who are genetically or otherwise destined to be light and short, for example, infants who sustain severe growth restriction before they are born.
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