Keywords
Failure to thrive; Medical nutrition therapy; Pediatrics; Growth and development
Abstract
Purpose: The objectives of this study are to determine the change in growth centile z-scores and to determine the growth velocity differences between intensive dietetic intervention and standard care over a 6-month period in children less than two years of age, medically diagnosed with Failure to Thrive (FTT) and seen by a dietitian.
Methods: This is a retrospective service evaluation of paediatric dietetic inpatient and outpatient services between January 2012 and January 2014 at the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore.
Findings: There was an improvement in mean weight and height z-scores over the 6-month period, with significant larger improvements in mean weight z-score for the intensive intervention compared to standard care. Multidisciplinary team intervention and coexisting medical disorders were associated with significant changes in weight velocity.
Conclusions: Dietetic intervention is beneficial, especially in children with medical co morbidities. Multidisciplinary team intervention and control of underlying medical illnesses may also provide additional improvement in growth
Citation
Lin CX, Yi SJ, Lin LS and Aw M. The Effectiveness of Dietetics Intervention in Young Children with Failure to Thrive. SM J Pediatr. 2018; 3(1): 1019.