Faltering growth in children: summary of NICE guidance.

Abstract

#### What you need to know Growth in infants and preschool children is a common cause for parental and professional concern. Some weight loss is common in the early days of life, while establishing feeding, and is usually a physiological phenomenon associated with fluid shifts.1 The term “faltering growth” is used to describe a pattern of slower weight gain than expected for age and sex in infants and preschool children after these early days and is most often due to inadequate nutritional intake. Concerns about faltering growth arise in up to 5% of infants and preschool children, depending on the definition used.23 Concerns are usually raised in primary care, by parents, health visitors, or general practitioners (GPs). Current practice in assessment and management varies across the UK.4 This article summarises the recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on the recognition and management of infants and preschool children with faltering growth,5 focusing …