Failure to gain weight is also known as Failure to Thrive (FTT) and is a condition which delays the physical growth and weight gain. This can lead to overall development delay. There are many reasons that can cause this failure. This includes social factors, environmental factors or some medical disorder.

Child’s appetite can be affected if there are some problems in the family, due to financial problems, neglect or ignorance about good food habits. This all can affect child’s eating habits and hence the mental and physical growth.

At times, Failure to gain weight can also be due to some medical condition such as difficulty in chewing and swallowing, gastroesophageal reflux, narrow esophagus or intestinal malabsorption. There could some other serious underlying causes such as tumor, infection, metabolic disorder or other physical reasons.

Kids who suffer from this do not meet the milestones in terms of standard weight gain. If the condition continues for longer periods, the child may become oblivious to the surroundings, gets irritable, may try to avoid eye contact while talking and may not reach other milestones as well including sitting, walking and talking.

Doctors usually diagnose Failure to gain weight by using standard growth charts and plot the length, weight and head circumference on the chart. If doctor is not satisfied with the overall growth of the child, he may ask for blood count test and urinalysis.

He may also suggest the help of a dietician and educated parents about calories and other nutrients required by the body. But, it is best to prevent this situation. You should make it a practice to take your child to the doctor frequently just for the routine check ups. Talk to the doctor about any concern you might have and attend various parent-training sessions. Be proactive and you can save your child’s life or future complications.