The social work discipline in the management of Failure to thrive in infants and children: an integrated behavioral health approach to pediatric programming.

Failure to thrive (FTT) is a DSM-5/ICD-10 diagnosis which describes infants and children who fail to grow within expected norms. The causes for poor growth are multifactorial and often include psychosocial factors. Social workers are important players in an interdisciplinary team approach to this diagnosis. This research and manuscript focus on the use of an integrated infant mental health pediatric model of practice, and outcomes for one case study. The article will review the social worker's role in the treatment of FTT, effective social work services provided in an integrated behavioral health approach, and a review of a cost-benefit analysis of treatment of FTT in a Primary Care Facility verses a hospital setting.

Pediatric growth faltering: Evaluation and management in primary care.

ABSTRACT: Pediatric growth faltering (GF), previously known as failure to thrive and now also called pediatric malnutrition and weight faltering, is a common clinical finding in primary care. Most pediatric GF cases are caused by inadequate caloric intake, not organic disease states. Evaluation requires clinicians to obtain detailed nutritional, medical, psychosocial, and family histories; take accurate anthropometric measurements; and perform a careful physical examination. Evaluation findings should be analyzed to determine whether targeted diagnostic workup, specialty referral, or a trial of nutritional counseling is indicated. Management includes caregiver education about childhood nutrition and frequent monitoring of growth parameters. A multidisciplinary approach that includes nutritionist, developmental therapist, and other specialty team member involvement is desirable.

Growth Faltering and Failure to Thrive in Children.

Growth faltering, previously known as failure to thrive, is a broad term describing children who do not reach their expected weight, length, or body mass index for age. Growth is assessed with standardized World Health Organization charts for children younger than two years and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention charts for children two years and older. Traditional criteria for growth faltering can be imprecise and difficult to track over time; therefore, use of anthropometric z scores are now recommended. These scores can be calculated with a single set of measurements to assess malnutrition severity. Inadequate caloric intake, the most common cause of growth faltering, is identified with a detailed feeding history and physical examination. Diagnostic testing is reserved for those who have severe malnutrition or symptoms concerning for high-risk conditions, or if initial treatment fails. In older children or those with comorbidities, it is important to screen for underlying eating disorders (e.g., avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia). Growth faltering can usually be managed by the primary care physician. If comorbid disease is identified, a multidisciplinary team (e.g., nutritionist, psychologist, pediatric subspecialists) may be beneficial. Failure to recognize and treat growth faltering in the first two years of life may result in decreased adult height and cognitive potential.

Valoración y seguimiento de pacientes con talla baja en Atención Primaria / Evaluation and follow up of patients with short stature in Primary Care

Introducción: entre las funciones del pediatra de Atención Primaria está la valoración antropométrica. Es importante incluirla en las revisiones del niño sano para detectar casos de talla baja, estudiarlos, derivarlos a Endocrinología si es preciso y realizar el tratamiento correspondiente. Objetivo: describir y analizar el manejo de niños con talla baja en un centro de salud de Atención Primaria. Material y métodos: estudio descriptivo retrospectivo sobre niños con talla baja de entre 2 y 16 años, cuyo centro de salud es el de Villaviciosa de Odón, del 1 de enero de 2020 al 1 de enero de 2022. Se seleccionaron las historias clínicas con la aplicación Consult@web y se revisaron en AP Madrid y Horus. Se realizó el análisis estadístico mediante SPSS. Resultados: se seleccionaron 62 pacientes, de los cuales 19 cumplían criterios de talla baja. Un 16% tenía antecedentes de talla baja familiar y un 16%, de retraso constitucional de crecimiento y desarrollo. La talla media al diagnóstico fue -2,36 ± 0,49 desviaciones estándar. Las pruebas complementarias más frecuentemente solicitadas fueron edad ósea (74%) y analítica de sangre (78%). El diagnóstico más frecuente fue talla baja idiopática (58%). Un 32% recibió tratamiento con hormona de crecimiento. El seguimiento se realizó exclusivamente en Atención Primaria en el 32%. Ante el pequeño tamaño muestral, no se ha obtenido significación estadística en las comparaciones. Conclusiones: la talla baja es un motivo frecuente de consulta en Atención Primaria, siendo importante realizar una valoración completa, reconociendo aquellos datos de alarma que hagan sospechar patología asociada (AU)

Introduction: anthropometric assessment is one of the functions of the Primary Care pediatrician. It is important to include it in healthy children check-ups in order to detect those cases of short stature, study them, refer them to Endocrinology if necessary and carry out the corresponding treatment.Objective: to describe and analyze the management of children with short stature in a primary care health center.Material and methods: retrospective descriptive study on children with short stature between 2 and 16 years of age, whose Health Center is Villaviciosa de Odón, from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2022. The medical records were selected in the Consult@web application and reviewed in AP Madrid and Horus. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS.Results: 62 patients were studied, of whom 19 met the criteria for short stature. 16% had a family history of short stature and 16% had a history of constitutional delay of growth. Mean height at diagnosis was -2,36 ± 0,49 SD. The most frequently requested complementary tests were bone age (74%) and blood tests (78%). The most frequent diagnosis was idiopathic short stature (58%). 32% received growth hormone treatment. Follow-up was carried out exclusively in primary care in 32%. Given the small sample size, no statistical significance was obtained in the comparisons.Conclusions: short stature is a frequent reason for consultation in Primary Care, being important to perform a complete evaluation recognizing those alarming data that lead to suspect associated pathology. (AU)

Child Developmental Delays and Disorders: Failure to Thrive.

Failure to thrive (FTT), or faltering growth, describes a complex group of clinical scenarios that manifest as abnormalities of growth. A thorough history and physical examination typically reveal the diagnosis, so laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging often are unnecessary. Hospitalization rarely is needed. The differential diagnosis includes gastrointestinal, metabolic, endocrine, and genetic conditions; feeding difficulties; developmental and sensory issues; and family dynamics. Children with FTT are at risk of future growth and development problems. Family physicians play an important role in the care of children with growth issues, as they care for the entire family, offer a holistic perspective, and have a thorough knowledge of community resources. In recent years, the multifactorial nature of FTT has been recognized, as has the importance of the use of multidisciplinary teams in treatment. Counseling on enhanced nutrition and referral to occupational and speech therapy subspecialists when needed are well within the scope of family physician practice. Home visitation programs can make a significant difference for patients with FTT and their families. If needed, many children's hospitals offer multidisciplinary feeding teams. Children without significant medical comorbidities who are treated with enhanced nutrition have a good prognosis for returning to a healthy baseline.

Importance of early detection of infantile inflammatory bowel disease with defective IL-10 pathway: A case report.

RATIONALE: Infantile inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an extremely rare subgroup of IBD that includes patients whose age of onset is younger than 2 years old. These patients can have more surgical interventions, and a severe and refractory disease course with higher rates of conventional treatment failure. Monogenic defects play an important role in this subgroup of IBD, and identification of the underlying defect can guide the therapeutic approach. PATIENT CONCERNS: In 2007, a 4-month-old girl from a nonconsanguineous family presenting with anal fistula, chronic diarrhea, and failure to thrive. She underwent multiple surgical repairs but continued to have persistent colitis and perianal fistulas. DIAGNOSIS: Crohn's disease was confirmed by endoscopic and histologic finding. INTERVENTION: Conventional pediatric IBD therapy including multiple surgical interventions and antitumor necrosis factor alpha agents were applied. OUTCOMES: The patient did not respond to conventional pediatric IBD therapy. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) receptor mutation was discovered by whole-exome sequencing and defective IL-10 signaling was proved by functional test of IL-10 signaling pathway by the age of 12. The patient is currently awaiting hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. LESSONS: Early detection of underlying genetic causes of patients with infantile-IBD is crucial, since it may prevent patients from undergoing unnecessary surgeries and adverse effects from ineffective medical therapies. Moreover, infantile-IBD patients with complex perianal disease, intractable early onset enterocolitis and extraintestinal manifestations including oral ulcers and skin folliculitis, should undergo genetic and functional testing for IL-10 pathway defect.

Emergency department management of patients with failure to thrive

Although failure to thrive (FTT) is a relatively common presentation in the emergency department, many emergency clinicians are unsure of how to properly work up a pediatric patient with this condition. Obtaining a thorough history and physical examination will likely reveal the cause of FTT. Although most laboratory testing has low diagnostic yield, they may be indicated in certain circumstances. Radiologic testing is normally not indicated unless the history or physical examination point to a specific etiology. This issue reviews the etiology, pathophysiology, and management of patients with FTT, with the goal of improving outcomes while minimizing unnecessary testing, decreasing cost, and expediting emergency department care.

Congenital heart defects in Noonan syndrome: Diagnosis, management, and treatment.

Noonan syndrome is a pleomorphic genetic disorder, in which a high percentage of affected individuals have cardiovascular involvement, most prevalently various forms of congenital heart disease (i.e., pulmonary valve stenosis, septal defects, left-sided lesions, and complex forms with multiple anomalies). Care includes attentiveness to several comorbidities, some directly impacting cardiac management (bleeding diatheses and lymphatic anomalies). More than 50% of patients with Noonan syndrome harbor PTPN11 pathogenic variation, which results in hyperactivation of RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. Several other disease genes with similar biological effects have been uncovered for NS and phenotypically related disorders, collectively called the RASopathies. Molecular diagnosis with gene resequencing panels is now widely available, but phenotype variability and in some cases, subtlety, continues to make identification of Noonan syndrome difficult. Until genetic testing becomes universal for patients with congenital heart disease, alertness to Noonan syndrome's broad clinical presentations remains crucial. Genotype-phenotype associations for Noonan syndrome enable better prognostication for affected patients when a molecular diagnosis is established. We still lack Noonan syndrome-specific treatment; however, newly developed anticancer RAS pathway inhibitors could fill that gap if safety and efficacy can be established for indications such as pulmonary valve stenosis.

The diagnosis "failure to thrive" and its impact on the care of hospitalized older adults: a matched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: "Failure to thrive" and associated diagnoses are non-specific terms applied to older adults when there is lack of diagnostic clarity and imply an absence of medical acuity. We investigated the effect of such admission diagnoses on delivery of patient care in a cohort of older adults admitted to a tertiary care teaching hospital. METHODS: Retrospective matched cohort study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Vancouver, BC. Cases identified were adults aged ≥65 years admitted to acute medical wards with an admission diagnosis of "failure to thrive", "FTT", "failure to cope", or "FTC", between January 1, 2016 and November 1, 2017 (n = 60, median age 80 years). Age-matched controls met the same inclusion criteria with admission diagnoses other than those of interest (n = 60, median age 79 years). RESULTS: The primary outcome was time to admission, measured from time points in the emergency room that spanned from triage to completion of admission orders. Secondary outcomes were concordance of admission and discharge diagnoses and length of stay in hospital. The total time from triage to admission for older adults admitted with FTT and associated diagnoses was 10 h 40 min, compared to 6 h 58 min for controls (p = .02). Concordance of admission and discharge diagnoses was only 12% for the "failure to thrive" cohort, and 95% for controls. Notably, 88% of the "failure to thrive" cohort had an acute medical diagnosis at the time of discharge. Patients in this cohort stayed 18.3 days in hospital compared to 10.2 days (p = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with an admission diagnosis of FTT or other associated diagnoses had significant delays in care when presenting to the emergency room, despite often having acute medical conditions on presentation. The use of this non-specific label can lead to premature diagnostic closure and should be avoided in clinical practice.

Advancing RAS/RASopathy therapies: An NCI-sponsored intramural and extramural collaboration for the study of RASopathies.

RASopathies caused by germline pathogenic variants in genes that encode RAS pathway proteins. These disorders include neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), Noonan syndrome (NS), cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFC), and Costello syndrome (CS), and others. RASopathies are characterized by heterogenous manifestations, including congenital heart disease, failure to thrive, and increased risk of cancers. Previous work led by the NCI Pediatric Oncology Branch has altered the natural course of one of the key manifestations of the RASopathy NF1. Through the conduct of a longitudinal cohort study and early phase clinical trials, the MEK inhibitor selumetinib was identified as the first active therapy for the NF1-related peripheral nerve sheath tumors called plexiform neurofibromas (PNs). As a result, selumetinib was granted breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA for the treatment of PN. Other RASopathy manifestations may also benefit from RAS targeted therapies. The overall goal of Advancing RAS/RASopathy Therapies (ART), a new NCI initiative, is to develop effective therapies and prevention strategies for the clinical manifestations of the non-NF1 RASopathies and for tumors characterized by somatic RAS mutations. This report reflects discussions from a February 2019 initiation meeting for this project, which had broad international collaboration from basic and clinical researchers and patient advocates.

The "Silk Road": A novel method for inserting transpyloric feeding tubes in low resource settings.

INTRODUCTION: Transpyloric tube (TPT) feeding is used in a multitude of conditions including gastroesophageal reflux disease. We here describe a new simple method to insert TPTs. METHODS: 6 French feeding tube is premeasured nose to xiphisternum, and then another 7cm of length is added and 3-5 silk (4-0) ties are applied to the end of the tube spaced 0.5-1cm apart. The knots are placed in different radial directions, and multiple throws are placed on each knot so as to add bulkiness. The tube is then inserted transnasally to the premeasured length and secured. The child is given a single dose of metoclopramide and placed on his right side for 4h. A plain abdominal x-ray is then performed to confirm adequate TP placement. Following correct placement the patient is tube fed with small volumes every 15-20min. Descriptive data was prospectively collected. RESULTS: 34 patients were recruited, median age 3.5months. All presented with vomiting, and 26 had failure to thrive. 24had successful TP tube placement from the first attempt, 6 from the second attempt, 2 on third attempt, and in 2 placement was unsuccessful. In 28 patients vomiting almost stopped completely. 9 patients had fundoplication, and 1 had gastrostomy placement. 3 patients died during the study because of unknown reasons. CONCLUSION: The silk tie technique is a safe and simple way to treat persistent vomiting and may prove useful in low resourced environments. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Hormona de crecimiento humana recombinante para el tratamiento de niños con deficiencia de hormona de crecimiento / Recombinant human growth hormone for the treatment of children with growth hormone

INTRODUCCIÓN: Este documento técnico se realiza a solicitud de la Dirección Regional de Salud Cusco; la cual motivó la realización de la pregunta PICO por parte de médicos y especialistas de la siguiente manera, P: Niños de 0-18 años con deficiencia de hormona de crecimiento; I: Hormona de crecimiento humana recombinante; C: placebo o no intervención; O: Ganancia de talla, diferencias en la talla durante la adultez, calidad de vida, mortalidad, neoplasias. a. Cuadro clínico: La deficiencia de la hormona del crecimiento (GHD) es un trastorno poco frecuente con una prevalencia estimada a nivel mundial de 1 de cada 4000 durante la infancia (1). En Perú, no se cuenta con datos epidemiológicos respecto a esta condición. En los niños, la principal manifestación de la deficiencia de hormona de crecimiento es la falla en el crecimiento. Sin embargo, su deficiencia también produce efectos sobre el metabolismo, incrementando la masa grasa y disminuyendo la masa magra, y sobre el neurodesarrollo, afectando principalmente el funcionamiento cognitivo. b. Tecnología sanitaria: La hormona de crecimiento es una proteína que interviene en la regulación del crecimiento y en el metabolismo de los carbohidratos, proteínas y lípidos, tanto de forma directa como indirecta a través de los factores de crecimiento similares a la insulina. En niños con deficiencia de GH, el tratamiento sustitutivo con hormona de crecimiento estimula el crecimiento lineal y mejora la velocidad de crecimiento. El evento adverso más común es el dolor de cabeza, aunque puede existir un riesgo ligeramente mayor de hipertensión intracraneal idiopática, aumento de la presión intraocular, deslizamiento de la epífisis femoral capital y empeoramiento de la escoliosis existente. Cuenta con aprobación de la Food and Drug Administration (FDA) desde 1985. En Perú, cuenta con cinco registros sanitarios vigentes y seis registros sanitarios con vigencia prorrogada provisional, bajo diferentes denominaciones comerciales. OBJETIVO: Describir la evidencia científica disponible sobre la eficacia y seguridad de la hormona de crecimiento humana recombinante para el tratamiento de niños con deficiencia de hormona de crecimiento. METODOLOGÍA: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en Medline (Pubmed), The Cochrane Library y LILACS utilizando la estrategia de búsqueda descrita en el Anexo 01. Ésta se complementó con la búsqueda de evidencia en páginas institucionales de agencias gubernamentales y buscadores genéricos. Se priorizó la identificación y selección de ensayos clínicos aleatorizados controlados, revisiones sistemáticas (RS) con o sin meta-análisis (MA) de ensayos clínicos aleatorizados controlados, guías de práctica clínica (GPC), evaluaciones de tecnología sanitaria (ETS) y evaluaciones económicas (EE) de América Latina. La calidad de la evidencia se valoró usando las siguientes herramientas: AMSTAR 2 para la valoración de la calidad de RS, la herramienta propuesta por la colaboración Cochrane para ensayos clínicos y AGREE II para valorar el rigor metodológico de las GPC. RESULTADOS: Se identificó tres revisiones sistemáticas (RS), una guía de práctica clínica (GPC) y una evaluación de tecnología sanitaria (ETS) que respondieron a la pregunta PICO de interés. CONCLUSIONES: El uso de hormona de crecimiento en niños produjo un incremento significativo de la talla durante un periodo de tratamiento de 4 a 6 años, comparado con un grupo de control. Estas diferencias se mantuvieron hasta la adultez, con una estatura aproximadamente 4 cm superior en los niños tratados con hormona de crecimiento respecto a los niños en el grupo control. Se reportó un incremento significativo de la mortalidad por cualquier causa en pacientes tratados con hormona de crecimiento, mientras que el riesgo de neoplasias no fue consistente, una revisión sistemática reportó un incremento del riesgo de neoplasias en la población general, mientras que otra no encontró diferencias significativas en niños sobrevivientes de cáncer. Una ETS recomienda el uso de hormona de crecimiento humana recombinante para la falla de crecimiento asociada, entre otras condiciones, a la deficiencia de hormona de crecimiento. La GPC de la Sociedad de Endocrinología Pediátrica de los Estados Unidos recomienda el uso de la hormona de crecimiento en niños y adolescentes con la finalidad de normalizar la estatura adulta y evitar la talla baja extrema. Dos RS fueron consideradas como nivel de confianza baja, y la restante como nivel de confianza medio. La GPC incluida obtuvo una puntuación superior al 57,4% en la valoración global de la calidad metodológica.

Applying Methods for Postnatal Growth Assessment in the Clinical Setting: Evaluation in a Longitudinal Cohort of Very Preterm Infants.

AIM: To analyze different methods to assess postnatal growth in a cohort of very premature infants (VPI) in a clinical setting and identify potential early markers of growth failure. METHODS: Study of growth determinants in VPI (≤32 weeks) during hospital stay. Nutritional intakes and clinical evolution were recorded. Growth velocity (GV: g/kg/day), extrauterine growth restriction (%) (EUGR: weight < 10th centile, z-score < -1.28) and postnatal growth failure (PGF: fall in z-score > 1.34) at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) were calculated. Associations between growth and clinical or nutritional variables were explored (linear and logistic regression). RESULTS: Sample: 197 VPI. GV in IUGR patients was higher than in non-IUGRs (28 days of life and discharge). At 36 weeks PMA 66.0% of VPIs, including all but one of the IUGR patients, were EUGR. Prevalence of PGF at the same time was 67.4% (IUGR patients: 48.1%; non-IUGRs: 70.5% (p = 0.022)). Variables related to PGF at 36 weeks PMA were initial weight loss (%), need for oxygen and lower parenteral lipids in the first week. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of z-scores was better suited to identify postnatal growth faltering. PGF could be reduced by minimising initial weight loss and assuring adequate nutrition in patients at risk.

Surgery for ulcerative colitis in geriatric patients is safe with similar risk to younger patients.

OBJECTIVE: A prior study indicated that postoperative mortality and complications were higher in geriatrics with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We sought to assess the rates of surgical complications and mortality in patients aged ≥65 years after colectomy for ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: This is a single center retrospective study at a tertiary care center. We reviewed all hospital discharges with ICD-9 code 556.X between January 2002 and January 2014. Patients were included if they underwent a colectomy for UC. All records were manually reviewed for demographics, complications and mortality within 90 days postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 259 patients underwent surgery for UC during the study period and 34 patients were ≥65 years old (range 65-82) at the time of their surgery. There was no difference in overall length of stay (10.5 days vs. 9.6 days; P = 0.645) or complication rates (44% vs. 47%; P = 0.854) in the ≥65 cohort compared with the under 65 cohort. Mortality was higher in the geriatric cohort but this included only two deaths within 90 days, one of which was unrelated to the surgery, compared with one death related to surgery within 90 days in the younger cohort. Readmissions occurred in 24% of both cohorts within 90 days. CONCLUSION: Geriatric patients undergoing surgery for UC are not at increased risk of surgery-related morbidity or mortality compared with a younger cohort.

Late dumping syndrome in an infant on feeding jejunostomy.

This article presents the case of a 3-month-old male child, who while on bolus jejunostomy tube feeds, developed recurrent episodes of hypoglycaemia. This infant had presented with failure to thrive with moderate gastroesophageal reflux necessitating a feeding jejunostomy. The infant was started on bolus feeds through the jejunostomy tube but developed recurrent episodes of hypoglycaemia. On evaluation, these episodes were hyperinsulinaemic and the baby was subsequently diagnosed with a late dumping syndrome. On changing the feeds to a continuous infusion and by eliminating added sugar from the feeds, the glucose fluctuations resolved. Dumping syndrome is a well-known complication in adults undergoing gastric surgeries. In the paediatric age group, dumping syndrome has been reported rarely, most commonly as a complication of Nissen fundoplication.

Hyperferritinaemia following intrauterine transfusions for Rh isoimmunisation.

Intrauterine transfusion is one of the mainstays of treatment in isoimmunised pregnancies guided by the changes in middle cerebral artery Doppler of the fetus. The common postnatal complications associated with Rh isoimmunisation are high unconjugated bilirubin requiring blood exchange transfusions, cholestasis due to bile inspissation, thrombocytopenia and anaemia. Hyperferritinaemia is an uncommon adverse effect observed in Rh isoimmunised pregnancies. In this case report, we describe the clinical course of a Rh isoimmunised neonate with hyperferritinaemia and transfusion acquired cytomegalovirus disease which resolved. Iron chelation therapy was not necessary.