What is Failure to thrive Syndrome and how can it be helped?
Failure to thrive
Syndrome is a term that is used to describe the inadequate development of a
baby or infant which usually occurs during infancy. The term is commonly used
for children who have failed to grow and develop as expected and when their
weight and height is significantly below children of a similar age or sex.
There are many different factors that can cause this inability to maintain
growth and development and treatment will depend on the reasons for failure to
thrive otherwise known as FTT to occur. Possible
reasons include medical issues, exposure to a toxic environment, economic
problems and a lack of emotional nurturing and care.
Medical issues can vary and include chromosome
abnormalities such as Down or Turner Syndrome, heart or lung problems, blood
disorders, gastrointestinal problems, defects to major organs or to the central
nervous system and problems with the endocrine system such as a growth hormone
deficiency. In this instance medical care and ongoing advice and support is
often readily available.
Exposure to a toxic environment for an infant can lead to a
greater risk of infections through parasites but more commonly stem from pregnancy
as the substances pass through the placenta to affect development and if the
baby has been subjected to the mother drinking alcohol, smoking or taking drugs
it has been linked to a variety of different health conditions including
premature birth, Foetal Alcohol Syndrome and low birth weight. Therefore, women
who are trying to conceive or are already pregnant are advised to avoid the use
of toxic substances to protect the child’s health and wellbeing in addition to
their own.
Economic problems can affect many families who can struggle
to deal with the ongoing expenses that having a child can create. This sadly
can lead to a child not receiving adequate nutrition to support healthy growth
and becoming undernourished as a result. In addition low income can affect
other aspects of a child’s growth including cognitive development. There are
various sources which can provide financial help including various benefits and
allowances available such as income support and universal credit which can be
applied for. Numerous groups can also offer invaluable support and guidance
during what can be a very difficult time.
Finally,
unhealthy family dynamics or a parent’s withdrawal of emotional care and
support can lead to a child failing to thrive through neglect, abuse or trauma
of some kind. Touch is the first language that newborn babies experience
allowing them to feel loved, accepted and safe. Even before birth pregnancy massage can
provide a wonderful way for a mother to bond with her baby which continues when
the child is born. Touch is not only calming and nurturing for babies but also encourages
an increase in alertness levels as through the different elements of touch they
then learn how to process different sensations allowing them to respond
appropriately to various situations they will occur throughout their life. Touch
also teaches a child how to move and have control over their body as through
being cuddled or handled a child learns how the body is formed and connected,
this then helps with forming boundaries in relation to how they relate to
others as they become aware of their own limitations but also potential.
It has
been proven that children who have not received adequate care and attention are
at a higher risk of developing behavioural, psychological, physiological or
social problems as they develop due to the changes that the brain experiences
during infancy and beyond. This can then lead to them experiencing a variety of
problems and concerns including a lack of confidence and self-esteem and in
addition mental health concerns including Anxiety and Depression in their teen
years and into adult hood.
Babies who
have developed a failure to thrive will often demonstrate one of the following traits:
Difficulty
with feeding ,over sleeping or not enough, a lack of eye contact, overly fussy,
vomiting or diarrhoea, a lack of interest in things around them, stiff or floppy
muscles, weak cry, a loss in weight or height and a delay in all aspects of
development.
It is
essential therefore to understand the importance of touch especially for babies
as the care received during the early years will affect us in the long term for
the rest of our lives. Babies will learn and develop according to the stimuli and
person they are most familiar with, therefore if a child is born to a mother
who is depressed and non-responsive the baby will instinctively be more drawn
to someone else with a similar nature as they are just responding to what they
know and are most familiar with, which is why as adults we are often instinctively
drawn to others who share similar characteristics to our own. Essential care
not only enables babies to feel nurtured and loved but also improves sleep
patterns, elimination and digestion and neurological and cognitive function.
This can improve weight gain for premature and full term babies and in addition
mothers can also benefit as bonding, particularly when it is skin to skin can
offer many benefits including the reduction of Stress levels, post natal
depression and increased lactation resulting in an overall improvement in all
aspects of health and relaxation for both mother and baby.
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