title: Characterization of failure to imbibe in infants.
abstract: The term failure to imbibe is proposed to describe infants with failure to thrive due to poor feeding. Feeding assessment was performed in 128 patients: 43 healthy controls, 53 diseased controls, 12 with nonorganic failure to thrive, and 20 with failure to imbibe. Infants with failure to imbibe required a significantly longer time to feed compared with other infants. In contrast to other infants with nonorganic failure to thrive, patients with failure to imbibe were more likely to need pediatric subspecialty care and nasogastric or gastrostomy tube feeding. Since these patients may have treatable conditions, infants with failure to imbibe merit further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, University of South Alabama, Mobile 36640-0130, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gremse
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lytle
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Sacks
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Balistreri
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications; D005183:Failure to Thrive / Q000150:complications*; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors