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The effect of a multidisciplinary team approach on weight gain in nonorganic failure-to-thrive children
W G Bithoney1, J McJunkin, J Michalek
1Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Insights
Multidisciplinary team treatment significantly improved weight gain in children with nonorganic failure-to-thrive (NFTT) compared to primary care. This approach offers advantages for correcting undernutrition in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Development
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Failure-to-thrive (FTT) is a chronic pediatric symptom linked to undernutrition, impacting child development, behavior, and cognition.
- FTT is traditionally categorized into organic (OFTT) and nonorganic (NFTT) causes.
- Undernutrition in children can have severe, long-term developmental consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of multidisciplinary team treatment versus primary care management for children with NFTT.
- To evaluate the impact of different treatment settings on weight gain and growth outcomes in pediatric patients with NFTT.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 53 children with NFTT in a multidisciplinary clinic and 107 in a primary care clinic (PCC).
- Growth outcomes were assessed over a 6-month follow-up period using growth quotient (GQ) analysis.
- Comparison of weight gain trajectories between the two treatment groups.
Main Results:
- Children treated by the multidisciplinary team showed significantly better growth (GQ = 1.75 ± 0.39 SD) compared to those in the PCC (GQ = 1.18 ± 0.42 SD, p < .001).
- The multidisciplinary approach led to more rapid correction of undernutrition.
Conclusions:
- Multidisciplinary team treatment demonstrates superior outcomes in improving weight gain for children with NFTT.
- This specialized approach provides significant advantages for addressing undernutrition and promoting healthy growth in pediatric populations.
- Early intervention with a multidisciplinary team is crucial for mitigating the adverse effects of undernutrition on child development.
Abstract:
Failure-to-thrive (FTT) is a chronic symptom accounting for 1% of all patients admitted to pediatric hospitals. FTT, which is traditionally attributed to organic (OFTT) and/or nonorganic (NFTT) causes, results in undernutrition. Undernutrition has potentially serious effects on child development, behavior, and cognitive skills. We undertook a study of children with FTT to determine whether multidisciplinary team treatment resulted in improved weight gain compared with children treated in a primary care setting. Fifty-three children with NFTT referred to our outpatient FTT consultative clinic and 107 children with NFTT identified as comparison subjects from our primary care clinic (PCC) were enrolled in the study. Growth outcomes over a 6-month follow-up were analyzed using growth quotient (GQ) analysis. Children followed in the multidisciplinary team clinic grew better (GQ = 1.75 +/- 0.39 SD) than did children in the PCC (GQ = 1.18 +/- 0.42 SD, p less than .001). The use of a multidisciplinary team offers special advantages in the rapid correction of undernutrition in children with NFTT.