Children who appear to be growing poorly may be quite normal, or they may have medical or nutritional problems. There are many possibilities.
Children whose growth appears poor on charts may require services from clinicians or professionals in more than one field: nutrition, medicine, child development, and others. Results of an evaluation may range from normal to the discovery of serious problems. Evaluation is especially
important if the child is young (for example, in the first few months
of life, rather than age 2 years), if the growth deviation is severe,
or if there are symptoms of illness, clues to problems in feeding or family
relationships, or unusual feeding practices. Evaluation is accomplished
most effectively by a multidisciplinary team, but referrals to registered
dietitians, feeding specialists, medical providers, and mental health
professionals can also accomplish the work.
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