Child Protection

[Guest]

This is a child protection/abuse question and I wanted to warn you so as not to cause upset

 

 

Just a quick question for my latest assignment (the last one!)

 

I am writing about the non-accidental death of Ainlee Labonte for my child protection assignment and was wondering if seizures and breathing difficulties would be a sign/symptom of non-organic failure to thrive? I don't suppose anyone would know, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to where I could look to find out. I have tried Google and Ask but I must be typing the wrong thing into the search box because I keep getting results linked to starving children in third world countries.

 

Thanks in advance

[Gezabel]

HI

Sorry I can't answer your question! I googled 'non organic failure to thrive' and found this:

 

Non-organic causes of failure to thrive involve failure of the normal cycle of maternal-child emotional interaction, or bonding if you will. Because lack of emotional stimulation and feedback can literally turn off the infant production of growth hormone, these cases are often the most severe. Severe non-organic failure to thrive is potentially fatal. Infant malnutrition develops as the baby becomes progressively unable to digest and absorb nutrition and the baby dies of starvation or overwhelming sepsis. Non-organic failure to thrive is associated with severe maternal depression or other serious mental illness, maternal substance abuse, or severe sociopathic personality disorder.

 

 

I also found this site: http://cfrcwww.social.uiuc.edu/LRpdfs/FailuretoThrive.LR.pdf with a research paper (admittedly 2002!) but it says:

 

This condition has been broken down into three types: organic failure to thrive (an infant with a

medical condition or physical impairment), non-organic failure to thrive (NOFTT), and mixed

failure to thrive (de Jong, 1997; Drotar, 1991).

 

I am guessing here but wonder if seizures and/or breathing difficulties would be signs/symptons of organic failure to thrive (as opposed to non-organic) as they are medical conditions???

 

Sorry probably not much help but good luck with the assignment