Q: My son was born 3 weeks prematurely. His birth weight was 1.4 kg. Now he is 13 months old and his present weight is 7 kg. Upto the age of 6 months he was gaining the weight properly but in the last 6 months he gained only 1.5 kg. Till now, neither he can stand nor sit without support. Please advise what treatment we should give him so that he starts gaining weight and become a normal child.

A:Your child seems to be showing developmental delay with failure to thrive. It is quite important to know the birth history and the cause of his low birth weight. One needs to rule out congenital infections and inborn errors of metabolism. The child needs a thorough developmental assessment along with interventional programmes like occupational therapy, etc. His dietary intake needs to be evaluated and then decide whether diet is adequate or not in calories and is he still failing to thrive inspite of an adequate calorie intake. You need to consult a paediatrician and get the above evaluated without any further delay.