A baby or child who gains insufficient weight may be classified as failure to thrive. This may indicate that baby is not receiving sufficient fluids. This could be because of parents restricting food internal problems that make it difficult to digest food physical problems that make eating difficult or painful or other reasons. If a childs weight height or head size is below the 5th percentile its important to see if her growth points have always paralleled the 5th percentile line which would mean her growth rate. The delay may be caused by an underlying health condition such as growth hormone deficiency or hypothyroidism. Some babies and toddlers are diagnosed with a condition called failure to thrive in which children do not gain weight or height as they should according to the american academy of pediatrics 2 4.
According to the march 2000 recommendations for preventative pediatric health care by the american academy of pediatrics a childs height and weight should be measured at least at birth age 2 4 days 1 2 4 6 9 12 15 18 and 24 months and every year thereafter through age 21. When there is a significant drop in weight with a single measurement that may be concerning. In this circumstance their weight may drop in relation to their height but the child will still continue to progress at a normal rate for their age. Weight is well below length on infant growth charts. Sometimes toddlers will lose weight as they become more active. Less than 5 wet diapers per day.
A growth delay occurs when a child isnt growing at the normal rate for their age.