“Slow growth” or poor weight gain is a common problem in infants and children and can cause significant parental concern.
Serial measurements are needed to assess a child’s growth. One-off measurements show a child’s size but not their growth. It is recommended that:
- World Health Organisation (WHO) growth standards be used for children under two years of age.
- Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth charts be used
for children over two years of age.
Although a single cause for poor growth is possible, there is often more than one condition involved. These conditions may interact with each other. Nutrition is the main driver for growth in the first two years of life. It is important for clinicians to know the normal feeding patterns, to diagnose where things are going wrong.
HealthPathways has recently published Slow Growth in Children. The pathway guides clinicians through the normal feeding patterns for babies and children at different ages. It lists causes in respect to inadequate calorie intake, inadequate absorption, excessive utilisation and other medical and psychosocial causes. Most importantly, the pathway links to a list of services to support parents looking after these children and to a list of breast feeding related pages:
- Lactation and Parenting Support
- Child Health Community Assessment
- Child Occupational Therapy Assessment
- Dietitian Services
- Child Speech Pathology Assessment
- Breast Engorgement
- Improving Milk Supply
- Mastitis and Breast Abscess
- Medications in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- Sore, Tender, and Damaged Nipples
- Tongue Tie (Ankylogglosia) in Breastfeeding
This pathway also links to Healthy Kids Check. The Healthy Kids Check should be conducted for children over 3yrs and under 5yrs – it ideally should be done in conjunction with the 4yr old immunisations.
The aim of these checks is to improve the health and wellbeing of children by promoting early detection of lifestyle risk factors, illness, and developmental concerns. It provides the opportunity to encourage healthy lifestyles and provide early intervention strategies.
For a list of all localised pathways see:
Mid and North Coast Localised Pathways
Username: manchealth
Password: conn3ct3d
For further information about HealthPathways email [email protected] or [email protected].
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we live and work, the Bundjalung, Arakwal, Yaegl, Gumbaynggirr, Githabul, Dunghutti and Birpai Nations, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to elders past, present and future.
