Frequent breastfeeding and food refusal associated with failure to thrive. A manifestation of the vulnerable child syndrome

Abstract

This paper acquaints pediatricians and health care personnel with the triad of poor weight gain, frequent breastfeeding, and food refusal in infants during the second 6 months of life. The histories of six infants aged 8-11 months, with failure to thrive, food refusal, and frequent breastfeeding, are presented. All the mothers were facing significant stresses, which may have decreased their breast milk supply, and were leading them to use breastfeeding for their comfort and/or the comfort of their infant. The infants responded with continued frequent breastfeeding, refusal of complementary foods, and decreased weight gain. These infants fit the characteristics of the vulerable child syndrome. Treatment of these infants required evaluation and treatment of the mothers' psychosocial issues along with a behavioral feeding program. Even with this multidisciplinary approach, these infants showed very slow catch-up growth. Pediatricians and health care personnel should use and build on this information in the evaluation and treatment of infants with similar problems.