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Disease severity at time of referral for pediatric failure to thrive and obesity: time for a paradigm shift?

Laurie A Miller1, Gary K Grunwald, Susan L Johnson

  • 1Section of Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver 80262, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|July 2, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Underweight children referred to pediatric clinics were mildly underweight, while obese patients were severely overweight. This suggests primary care may refer underweight children more readily than overweight ones.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Clinical Pediatrics

Background:

  • Failure to thrive (FTT) and obesity are significant pediatric concerns.
  • Accurate assessment of body weight status is crucial for effective management.
  • Referral patterns in primary care can impact timely intervention for pediatric weight issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the degree of underweight in failure to thrive patients versus the degree of overweight in obese patients.
  • To analyze body weight status at initial pediatric referral.
  • To investigate potential disparities in referral aggressiveness between underweight and overweight pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients.
  • Comparison of percent ideal body weight at first clinic visit.
  • Analysis of patients diagnosed with failure to thrive versus obesity.

Main Results:

  • Patients with failure to thrive were mildly underweight.
  • Patients classified as obese were found to be severely overweight.
  • A potential trend for more aggressive referral of underweight children was observed.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric referral clinics encounter a spectrum of weight-related issues.
  • The severity of underweight in FTT patients differs significantly from the severity of overweight in obese patients.
  • Primary care providers might exhibit differential referral behaviors based on a child's weight status.

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