Understanding

Taking care of Failure to

yourself Thrive
The first thing to do before
taking care of your baby is
to keep up with your
health.

Parents of patients that are

Failure to Thrive (at home)
tend to be:

• Angry

• Frustrated

• Stressed

• Annoyed

• Tired

• Neglectful

Tips on taking care of

yourself:

• Take breaks

• Eat right

• Exercise

• Stay organized

• Ask for help!

• Find a support group


What does Failure to
Thrive mean?
Failure to Thrive is defined to be the
‘lack of expected normal physical
growth.’
• This means that the patient, for any
reason is not growing properly, either
in weight, height, or girth. This can
be caused by two anomalies- either
organic (internal) or non-organic
(environmental).
Understanding Failure to Thrive
Failure to Thrive means the patient isn’t
receiving the necessary nutrients
needed to grow properly, which can lead
to:
• Malnourishment
• Trouble breathing
• Trouble with feeding
• Congestive heart failure
• Trouble with electrolytes
• Developmental delays
• Irritation
• Lack of energy/Fatigue
• Delayed social response
Treatment for Failure to
Thrive:
Treatment falls into two different
divisions- at the hospital and at home
care (post-discharge).
In the Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit patients will receive a higher
intake of calories per fluid ounce to
ensure that they are gaining enough
calories that may be lost in excess
energy use.
Alongside, hospitals encourage
Kangaroo Care:
• Skin to skin bond between
parents and patient
• Helps the patient feel closer to
their parents and grow at a
faster rate
• Schedule based on the patients’
physical/mental state, rather
than timed intervals
At Home Care
Continued care for patients that were
Failure to Thrive in the NICU is to ensure
that the patient does not have episodes
of “failed growth” within the first 20
months of being home. To prevent this
from happening the following must be
done:
• Create a stress-free environment
for the baby—change can be hard
for them to adapt to.
• Continue strengthening a bond
between you and your child.
• Avoid any possible
infections/diseases as much as
possible
• Try to keep the baby from
wasting energy.
• Check their weight to make sure
they’re continuing to grow
When to Contact your
Doctor:
• Fever higher than 100 degrees
Fahrenheit in the armpit and 101
rectally
• Increased trouble with breathing
• Change in behavior
-Very sleepy
-Fussy
-Will not eat
-Pulling at their ears
• Showing signs of malnourishment
• Baby is throwing up/diarrhea