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[Failure to thrive among hospitalized 0-2 year-old children]
Else Marie Olsen1, Trine Holm Johannsen, Bodil Moltesen
1Center for Sygdomsforebyggelse, Københavns Amt, Amtssygehuset i Glostrup, DK-2600 Glostrup. emao@glostruphosp.kbhamt.dk
Insights
Failure to thrive (FTT) affects 4% of hospitalized children under two. Nearly half of these infants and toddlers have additional somatic diagnoses, with few exhibiting psychiatric or social issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Health
- Public Health
Context:
- Failure to thrive (FTT) is a recognized condition in infants and toddlers characterized by inadequate weight gain.
- Hospitalized children under two years old in the County of Copenhagen were the focus of this study.
- Understanding FTT prevalence and comorbidities is crucial for early intervention and management.
Purpose:
- To determine the prevalence of diagnosed failure to thrive in hospitalized children aged 0-2 years.
- To investigate the frequency of comorbid conditions, including somatic and psychiatric diagnoses, in children with FTT.
- To identify common ICD-10 codes used for FTT diagnoses in Denmark.
Summary:
- A study of hospitalized children aged 0-2 years in Copenhagen found that 4% were diagnosed with failure to thrive (FTT).
- The most common ICD-10 codes for FTT were R62.8, E64.9, and E34.3.
- Of the children diagnosed with FTT, 46% had an additional somatic diagnosis, while only 5% had child psychiatric comorbidity.
Impact:
- This research highlights the significant prevalence of FTT in hospitalized young children and the high rate of associated somatic conditions.
- Findings underscore the need for comprehensive diagnostic approaches to identify underlying causes and comorbidities in FTT cases.
- The study provides valuable data for public health initiatives and clinical practice guidelines related to pediatric growth and development.
Introduction:
Failure to thrive, defined as insufficient weight gain according to age, is a well-known condition among infants and toddlers. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of diagnosed failure to thrive and possible comorbidity in hospitalised 0-2 year-old children in the County of Copenhagen.
Material And Methods:
It resulted from inquiries sent to all paediatric departments in Denmark that the most frequently used ICD-10 diagnoses for failure to thrive were R62.8, E64.9, and E34.3. Data concerning patients with these three diagnoses hospitalised in two paediatric departments in the County of Copenhagen during a two-year period were drawn from the Patient Registry System. The following parameters were registered: sex, age, diagnoses, hospitalizations, and address.
Results:
Among referred children below the age of two years, 173 or 4% were diagnosed with failure to thrive. Girls were in excess, the ratio girls-boys being 107:66. More than half, 60% were below one year of age, 40% were below six months of age. We found equal distribution of index children from municipalities with low and high incomes. The diagnosis R62.8 was found in 170 patients, of whom 155 had the diagnosis as either main diagnosis or side diagnosis. Out of these 155 patients 46% had additional somatic diagnosis, whereas 5% had child psychiatric comorbidity.
Discussion:
Failure to thrive was diagnosed in 4% of hospitalised children under two years of age. Nearly half of the children diagnosed with failure to thrive had a comorbid somatic diagnosis, whereas only a few was diagnosed with psychiatric or social disturbances.