PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AND CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NON-ORGANIC FAILURE TO THRIVE IN INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Non-organic failure to thrive in infants and young children is a severe condition with a strong impact on the child’s developmental outcomes. We analyzed social environmental, emotional, behavioral and temperamental factors, as well as several mental health issues drawn from observation and assessment of sixty-nine infants and toddlers hospitalized for nutrition disorders, in order to determine the impact of non-organic FTT on the child’s development at this stage. Several implications for enhancement of resilience were also derived.

Keywords

• non-organic failure to thrive
• infant development
• mental health screening
• malnutrition
• psychosocial stressors