| Abstract: | Clinical experience indicates that fathers have a salient influence on the development of non-organic failure to thrive (NOFT) infants and on the feeding and attachment disturbances that often accompany this pediatric condition. As shown in case examples, fathers influence the origins and outcomes of NOFT through their participation in maladaptive patterns of parenting and/or conflicts with the child's mother, which disrupt maternal emotional adjustment and maternal-child interactions. Clinical assessment of paternal influences through interview and observation can help formulate more realistic treatment planning and family-centered interventions for NOFT children. |
