Comprehensive evaluation and targeted therapy for failure to thrive, growth delays, and nutrient malabsorption. Trust Tampa Bay's leading pediatric GI specialists for complete nutritional care.
Proper nutrition is the cornerstone of healthy childhood development, energy, and immune strength.
Nutritional disorders in children arise when a developing child is unable to take in, absorb, or process essential nutrients needed for physical growth and neurological milestone progression. These issues range from infant feeding difficulties and failure to thrive to nutrient malabsorption caused by underlying gastrointestinal disease.
Because a child's body undergoes rapid physical growth, nutritional deficits can have lasting impacts if left unmanaged. A qualified pediatric gastroenterologist for nutritional concerns combines medical expertise with specialized dietary planning to identify systemic issues and restore optimal growth curves.
Evaluating weight-for-age, height-for-age, and body mass index (BMI) trends to spot early growth deceleration.
Diagnosing mucosal, pancreatic, or liver dysfunction that prevents essential protein, fat, and vitamin absorption.
Crafting targeted dietary therapies, high-density formulas, and micronutrient supplementation tailored to every child.
Nutritional concerns in children stem from digestive disease, food intolerances, or metabolic factors. Our practice provides thorough evaluation across all conditions.
Weight loss or inadequate weight gain where a child's growth curve drops below standard percentiles, requiring subspecialty GI assessment.
Inability to absorb nutrients due to gluten sensitivity, villous atrophy, short bowel syndrome, or pancreatic insufficiency.
Deficiencies in iron, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, B12, or folate that lead to anemia, fatigue, bone weakness, and impaired immunity.
Infant formula intolerances, severe picky eating, oral sensory aversion, or painful swallowing that restricts adequate calorie intake.
Caloric depletion, protein loss, and nutrient malabsorption secondary to Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis inflammation.
Specialized management for pediatric patients requiring G-tube, NG-tube, or customized medical formula nutritional support.
While temporary appetite changes are common, certain warning signs indicate that pediatric nutritional disorders or growth issues require specialist care:
PEDGI accommodates urgent pediatric gastroenterology requests within 2–5 business days.
Our subspecialists utilize a systematic diagnostic approach to pinpoint whether nutritional deficits stem from inadequate intake, malabsorption, or underlying GI disease.
Detailed velocity plotting of weight, height, head circumference, and body composition against standardized pediatric growth curves.
Laboratory evaluation of serum iron, ferritin, vitamin D, zinc, albumin, prealbumin, thyroid markers, and Celiac antibodies.
Screening for fecal fat, elastase, intestinal inflammation, carbohydrate malabsorption, and infection indicators.
If mucosal disease or Celiac is suspected, upper endoscopy (EGD) with intestinal biopsy provides definitive diagnostic clarity.
Effective treatment for pediatric nutritional disorders combines medical therapy with tailored nutritional strategies designed for sustainable growth.
Custom high-calorie diets, nutrient-dense formula fortification, and therapeutic meal structuring to accelerate weight gain.
Targeted therapeutic supplementation of iron, vitamin D, zinc, or multivitamins to correct specific deficiencies safely.
Managing underlying GI causes such as Celiac disease, Crohn's, or reflux with targeted prescription pharmacotherapy.
Regular follow-ups with our doctors and Physician Extenders to monitor weight, height, and wellness.
Learning that your child has "failure to thrive" can sound alarming, but it is simply a clinical term for poor weight gain that is completely treatable.
Failure to Thrive (FTT) occurs when a child's weight gain or growth trajectory lags significantly behind standard medical percentiles. Whether caused by hidden digestive malabsorption, food intolerance, or feeding difficulty, our team works closely with parents to identify the exact cause and rebuild your child's growth velocity.
Early subspecialty intervention ensures your child gets the calories and nutrients needed for optimal brain and body development.
Meet Our Subspecialist DoctorsProviding Tampa Bay families with world-class pediatric GI and nutrition subspecialty care since 1984.
Our practice has exclusively focused on pediatric gastroenterology, liver, and nutrition care in West Central Florida since 1984.
We know growth and feeding concerns can be stressful for parents. Every member of our care team is dedicated to providing supportive, stress-free care.
Our doctors and clinical staff provide fluent care in both English and Spanish to support our diverse Tampa Bay community.
Urgent cases are scheduled within 2 to 5 business days across Tampa, Lakeland, Bloomingdale, and Odessa clinics.
Expert pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition care close to home across Hillsborough and Pasco counties.
2470 Bloomingdale Ave
Valrico, FL 33596
(813) 324-2613
Location DetailsHave questions about your child's growth curve, appetite, or preparing for a specialist visit? Here are common answers from our pediatric GI team.
View All General FAQsPediatric nutritional disorders encompass conditions where a child cannot properly ingest, absorb, or utilize nutrients required for healthy growth. This includes failure to thrive, malabsorption, micronutrient deficiencies, severe picky eating/feeding aversion, and GI-related weight loss.
Failure to thrive (FTT) occurs when a child's rate of weight gain or physical growth falls significantly below expected percentiles for their age. It can result from inadequate intake, malabsorption, or increased caloric needs due to chronic digestive conditions.
You should consult a pediatric gastroenterologist when your child drops across growth percentiles, shows unexplainable weight loss, experiences chronic diarrhea or vomiting alongside poor growth, or when primary pediatric interventions haven't restored healthy weight gain.
Our specialists use a combination of detailed growth chart analysis, comprehensive blood work (checking iron, vitamin D, zinc, B12, and proteins), stool malabsorption tests, and specialized GI evaluations to pinpoint exact nutrient shortfalls.
Not usually. Most pediatric nutritional disorders are managed successfully with customized oral diets, fortified formulas, and targeted supplements. Enteral feeding (such as a G-tube or NG-tube) is reserved only for complex conditions where oral intake is insufficient.
PEDGI prioritizes timely evaluation for developing infants and children. Urgent nutritional and growth requests are typically seen within 2 to 5 business days across our four Tampa Bay clinic locations.
Get clear answers and expert nutritional guidance for your child from Tampa Bay's trusted pediatric GI specialists.