606 - Hospitalization for Failure to Thrive: A Retrospective Chart Review

Poster Number: 606
Publication Number: 606.209

Shamini Selvakumar, McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Markham, ON, Canada; Saniya Al Husaini, Child Health Department, Royal Hospital, Alamerat, Masqat, Oman; Malvika Agarwal, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Brampton, ON, Canada; Lucia G. Giglia, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

Background: Failure to thrive (FTT), defined as a weight less than the third percentile or crossing more than two percentiles on a growth curve, is a common pediatric referral. There is currently limited data on FTT hospitalizations within a Canadian setting.

Objective: We sought to characterize the type of FTT (non-organic versus organic pathology), length of hospital stay, and risk factors associated with FTT readmissions.

Design/Methods: This was a retrospective chart review examining the electronic medical records of children, under two years old, admitted to a single tertiary care centre from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 with a diagnosis of FTT.

Results: 1696 charts were screened, and 123 charts met the inclusion criteria. 59.3% were noted to have an organic etiology for their FTT. Among patients with an organic cause, they were more likely to have developmental delay (18 vs. 3, p = 0.003) and have longer length of stay (12.8 vs. 6.40 days, p = 0.004). Though admissions weights did significantly differ between infants with an organic versus nonorganic cause for their FTT, their z scores were not significantly different. There was no difference in re-admissions between the two groups (19 vs.10, p = 0.44). The odds of readmission were higher among premature infants, those who required a NG tube during their initial admission, had a medical complex condition at time of admission or an organic etiology for their FTT, however the results were not statistically significant. Conclusion(s): More than half the admissions for FTT were secondary to an organic etiology and were associated with significantly longer admissions. Small sample size was a limitation of the current study. Future studies should evaluate investigations completed during inpatient stays, and associated cost analyses.