[Psychosomatic failure-to-thrive in infants and toddlers]

Failure to thrive is found in 3-5% of infants in the general population. A minority has an organic explanation. Non-organic failure to thrive is associated with increased risk of physical illness, continued growth retardation as well as cognitive and emotional disturbances. Non-organic failure to thrive has traditionally been regarded as a maternal deprivation syndrome, but in recent population studies there has been found no evidence of mother-infant relationship disturbances as the main cause of non-organic failure to thrive is the general population. Non-organic failure to thrive is best characterised as a psychosomatic condition with multifactorial etiology. Development and course of failure to thrive has to be explored in longitudinal population studies with prospectively gathered data concerning the perinatal period and first year of life.