A psychosocial conceptualization of nonorganic failure to thrive

Abstract

Nonorganic failure to thrive represents a lack of growth in the infant without known physical causes. The exclusion of organic causes leads to consideration of psychosocial factors in development. Thus, psychology plays a role in a theory of etiology and treatment strategies for this psychological phenomenon. A comprehensive conceptualization of nonorganic failure to thrive is outlined comprising three major, interacting categories of causative factors: (a) psychological/emotional factors, (b) educational factors, and (c) environmental factors.