基于人群的调查发现,高达50%的生长停滞儿童并未被医疗保健机构明确诊断[6]Wright CM. Identification and management of failure to thrive: a community perspective. Arch Dis Child. 2000 Jan;82(1):5-9.http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1718189&blobtype=pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10630901?tool=bestpractice.com 虽然低收入家庭比中等收入家庭的生长停滞的婴儿更为常见,但是它发生在所有人群。[7]Wright CM, Parkinson KN, Drewett RF. The influence of maternal socioeconomic and emotional factors on infant weight gain and weight faltering (failure to thrive): data from a prospective birth cohort. Arch Dis Child. 2006 Apr;91(4):312-7.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2065961/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16397011?tool=bestpractice.com 贫穷可以通过缺乏食物、医疗保健和足够的教育机会直接影响到儿童,并且可以通过增加家庭压力间接影响,因为压力增加可能对父母定期提供营养餐的能力产生干扰。[4]Frank DA, Blenner S, Wilbur MD, et al. Failure to thrive. In: Reece RM, Christian C, eds. Child abuse: medical diagnosis and management, 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. 粮食安全问题与婴儿住院、健康状况不佳和发育风险有关,并且与学龄期儿童的发育、学术和学习问题有关。[8]Cook JT, Frank DA, Levenson SM, et al. Child food insecurity increases risks posed by household food insecurity to young children's health. J Nutr. 2006 Apr;136(4):1073-6.http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/136/4/1073http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16549481?tool=bestpractice.com[9]Rose-Jacobs R, Black MM, Casey PH, et al. Household food insecurity: associations with at-risk infant and toddler development. Pediatrics. 2008 Jan;121(1):65-72.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18166558?tool=bestpractice.com[10]Alaimo K, Olson C, Frongillo EA Jr. Food insufficiency and American school-aged children's cognitive, academic, and psychosocial development. Pediatrics. 2001 Jul;108(1):44-53.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11433053?tool=bestpractice.com 在任何社会阶层,如果亲子互动失调、家长精神病、家庭矛盾或器质疾病时,均可出现生长不良。 在贫困的背景下,这些问题的影响会增加。 体重不足和发育迟缓率在世界各地各不相同,在亚洲和撒哈拉以南非洲地区的发病率最高,往往与长期贫穷有关。[11]UNICEF. The state of the world's children 2008: child survival. New York, NY: United Nations Children's Fund; 2007.http://www.unicef.org/sowc08/docs/sowc08.pdf
儿童和孕期营养监测系统 (Pediatric and Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System, PedNSS) 由美国疾病预防控制中心 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 于 2012 年创建,包括参加美国公立援助计划(例如女性、婴儿和儿童食品的政府方案)的 5 岁以下美国儿童的生长数据。2010 年的数据表明,PedNSS 中的儿童有 4.5% 出现体重过轻(低于年龄别体重 [weight-for-age] 的第 5 百分位数),有 5.9% 出现发育障碍(低于年龄别身高 [length-for-age] 的第 5 百分位数)。[12]Borland E, Dalenius K, Grummer-Strawn L, et al. Pediatric nutrition surveillance 2010 report. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2012.https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/11951/ 根据定义,总人口中有5%预计将低于第5百分位数。