Failure to thrive (child)

This diagnosis code signifies a condition in children where there is inadequate weight gain or a significant drop in growth percentiles over time, indicating a failure to meet expected developmental growth milestones. It often reflects underlying medical, nutritional, or psychosocial issues impacting a child's ability to thrive.

Assign this code for children (typically over 28 days old) presenting with insufficient growth, weight loss, or a sustained plateau in weight gain, as documented by a physician. Supporting documentation should include growth charts demonstrating a decline across two or more major percentiles or weight-for-age below the 3rd or 5th percentile.

• Ensure the patient's age is explicitly documented as older than 28 days to avoid the Excludes1 note.
• Always code the underlying cause of the failure to thrive, if known and documented, in addition to this code.
• Distinguish from normal variations in growth; documentation should clearly indicate a clinical concern for inadequate growth.