Babies failing to thrive

The capacity to grow and develop is the essence of the human child, and it's frequently assessed by family, friends and health professionals.

As soon as a new baby arrives in the world, one of the first things everyone wants to know is how much does he or she weigh? From that point on, there are constant enquiries about the child's weight and height. Most people, if they see a child growing tall and strong, feel reassured that the child is healthy and their needs are being met. Health visitors provide health record booklets that include growth charts for all new babies. Some children don't grow or gain weight as they should. This is known as failure to thrive and may be because of a variety of causes. Some children appear lethargic, pale and miserable, while others seem fairly well.

Failure to thrive in infants may be a result of poor feeding techniques

Breast milk
Newborn babies should thrive on breast milk - it's the best choice. But many new mothers and their babies struggle to latch on properly and get a good technique going. Get more advice on breastfeeding from your health visitor.

Formula milk
Despite being second best for other reasons, babies should thrive on formula milk. If your baby isn't growing as they should, you must check that you're following the manufacturer's instructions for making up the feed exactly (not too dilute), and that your baby is able to get the milk as fast as it needs to (check the teat size).