Environmental failure to thrive: the need for intervention.

Evaluation of the child with failure to thrive consists of a comprehensive history, a thorough physical examination and appropriate laboratory tests. The behavioral characteristics of the infant and mother, as well as the social characteristics of the family, may point to the diagnosis of environmental failure to thrive. Appropriate management strategies are influenced by the psychosocial assessment. The physician must maintain an advocacy role for the child throughout this time, even if community agencies are providing most of the care.