Your child might not be gaining much weight if she is sick or going through a normal but temporary period of slowed growth, says BabyCenter. However, she should generally continue to gain weight as she grows. Take your child to her pediatrician if you are concerned that she isn't growing as she should; the pediatrician can help you determine whether you should pursue treatment for an underlying problem.
Diagnosis
Your pediatrician will use a growth chart to compare your child's height and weight---and, if he's young, head circumference---with norms for children of his age and gender. If your pediatrician thinks your child is low on the chart or if he suspects that your child isn't gaining weight at an appropriate speed, he may ask you questions about your child's diet and activity levels. If he suspects a health problem might be responsible for your child's inadequate weight gain, he may check your child's blood count and test his blood and urine to rule out specific conditions, says KidsHealth, a part of the Nemours Foundation.
Failure to Thrive
If you or your partner are on the small side, or if either of you were late bloomers, your child may also just be following suit. However, she might be diagnosed with "failure to thrive" if her weight is under the 3rd percentile on growth charts or if she has a weight that is 20 percent below the ideal weight based on her height, according to Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
Causes
Some children who aren't gaining enough weight have gastrointestional problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, which may cause a child so much discomfort that he doesn't want to eat; cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, lactose intolerance or chronic liver disease, which limit his body's ability to absorb nutrients from food; and chronic diarrhea, which can cause him to have trouble holding onto the nutrients he gets from foods, says KidsHealth. Other potential causes are infections, medical disorders such as cleft lip or palate, metabolic disorders and chronic illnesses. In some cases, parents are responsible for their child's malnutrition because they restrict what he eats.
Risks
Many children with failure to thrive are diagnosed in their first few years, says KidsHealth. Since these early years are a crucial time for development in children, inadequate nutrition can cause permanent negative effects. A young child with failure to thrive may become disinterested in her surroundings, act irritable, avoid making eye contact and not reach her expected developmental milestones such as walking and talking, says KidsHealth. An older child who isn't adequately nourished may have delayed mental skills, slow social skills and delayed development of secondary sexual characteristics, says Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
Treatment
Treatment for inadequate weight gain may be as simple as increasing your child's caloric intake, but it may also require a multifaceted treatment approach, says BabyCenter. If your child has trouble eating due to a physical deformity, for example, you may need to recruit a speech therapist and a registered dietitian. Alternately, your child may need medication to treat a gastrointestinal problem or a cardiologist to treat an underlying heart problem. In some cases, a mental health professional and a social worker may be needed to address family life problems that are causing malnutrition, says BabyCenter.
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