A Natural Approach To Health

Living With Failure to Thrive

I had a question the other day about failure to thrive.

Failure to thrive is a term used to describe a child who seems to be gaining weight or height more slowly than other children the same age and sex.

A baby who fails to thrive may seem slow to develop physical skills, like rolling over, standing, and walking.

Slow growth also can lead to delays in mental and social skills.

Failure to thrive can be caused by medical conditions, like anemia or thyroid problems.

Some children don’t thrive as expected because they don’t get enough to eat or they have emotional problems.

A child who has poor eating habits may also have stunted growth.

Not getting enough nutrients is the immediate cause of failure to thrive, but the ultimate cause may be complicated.

Failure to thrive may point to caregiver depression or another mental health problem making it hard for the caregiver to respond to the child’s needs.

If your child’s failure to thrive is caused by a medical condition, your health care professional will address it.

This may be enough to help your child begin to gain weight at a normal rate.

If your child has emotional problems or has been affected by conditions at home, treatment may need to include counseling and improving the home situation.

Your child should be able to develop at a normal rate if the period of failure to thrive has been short.

To deal with failure to thrive it’s beneficial to:

*Give your child lots of purified water to drink daily to hydrate and flush toxins.

*Alfalfa is a valuable source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that promote growth.  It can be taken in tablet or capsule form, as well as eaten in a natural form like alfalfa sprouts.

*Eat a well-balanced diet high in healthful sources of protein.  Protein is necessary for growth.

*Include in the diet foods high in the amino acid arginine.  Arginine is used to make another amino acid, ornithine, which promotes the release of growth hormone.  Good food sources of arginine include carob, coconut, dairy products, gelatin, oats, peanuts, soybeans, walnuts, wheat, and wheat germ.

*High levels of lead, a toxic metal, may cause growth problems.  A hair analysis can be done to rule out this metal toxicity.

*Avoid foods containing artificial colors or preservatives.

*Avoid fried and fatty foods like bacon, cold cuts, gravies, ham, luncheon meats, and sausage.

*Avoid processed food and junk food.

*Use an elimination diet to test for food allergies, which can aggravate the condition.

*Increase fresh air, sunshine, connect to nature, adequate rest.

*Ensure regular (2 per day) bowel movements.

*Decrease toxic exposures of all kinds.

*Avoid MSG and artificial sweeteners as they’re neurotoxins.

If you’re dealing with failure to thrive, try these (100% money-back guarantee):

It’s essential to use:  Vita-Lea Ocean Wonders, Protein, Alfalfa, B-Complex, Lecithin, OmegaGuard, VitalMag, Optiflora, Vitamin D.

It’s important to use:  OsteoMatrix, Vitamin C, Mental Acuity,  CoQHeart, CarotoMax, FlavoMax.

It’s beneficial to use:  Stress Relief Complex, Gentle Sleep Complex, NutriFeron.

email:  lenay@dickandlenay.com

PS:  If you have any questions about failure to thrive, and would like to know how supplements can help, give us a call at 715-431-0657.  We’re here to help.