Dietitian and Nutritionist for Growth Faltering

Growth faltering, also known as “failure to thrive”, is where a child isn’t growing as fast as we expect them to. Height and weight are measured on growth charts that are specifically designed for Canadian children.

If your child’s doctor has expressed concern about their growth, a registered dietitian can help with the following:

• Receive education from a dietitian on failure to thrive, including potential contributing factors such as inadequate intake, feeding difficulties, medical conditions or psychosocial barriers.
• Have a dietitian conduct a comprehensive nutritional assessment, including dietary intake, feeding history, growth patterns and medical background.
• Assess growth using standardized growth charts and monitor weight, length/height and BMI or weight-for-length over time.
• Develop individualized meal planning strategies that align with the child’s preferences and family routines, incorporating high-energy foods the whole family can enjoy.
• Work with a pediatric dietitian to develop a nutrition plan aimed at growth faltering support.
• Develop a meal plan to help add extra calories and protein to your child’s diet.
• Establish structured meal and snack routines to optimize feeding frequency and support adequate energy intake throughout the day.
• Learn ways to modify preferred meals and snacks to increase energy and protein density to support catch-up growth.
• Support appropriate breastfeeding or formula feeding practices, including fortification when necessary.
• Educate caregivers on hunger and satiety cues, feeding responsibilities to support responsive feeding practices.
• Provide guidance on creating a positive, low-pressure mealtime environment, and offer strategies to address anxiety around food that may be contributing to reduced intake.
• Educate caregivers on age-appropriate portion sizes and textures to support safe and adequate intake.
• Assess feeding difficulties (e.g., oral-motor challenges, sensory sensitivities, delayed feeding skills) and their impact on nutritional intake, providing nutrition strategies and referring to other health care providers as needed.
• Recommend screening for underlying health conditions that may be contributing, such as iron deficiency or celiac disease.
• Identify and address potential micronutrient deficiencies, suggesting food sources or supplementation accordingly.
• Assess the impact of medications that may affect your child’s appetite (for example, medication for ADHD).
• Address bowel concerns and determine if symptoms are contributing to a lower appetite.
• Consider the use of oral nutrition supplements when dietary intake alone is insufficient.
• Monitor progress regularly, adjusting the nutrition care plan based on growth trends and response to interventions.
• Provide additional resources and recipes to help sustain long term weight gain and catch up growth.
• Provide recipes and resources to help with weight gain.
• Suggest taking more vitamins and minerals, if any are low in your child’s diet, and provide food sources accordingly.
• Provide strategies for anxiety around food that may be causing your child to eat less than they need.
• Have a dietitian and nutritionist for growth faltering a.k.a. failure to thrive answer any questions you may have.
• And more.