Optimal nutrition in infancy and early childhood is the success behind good health, growth, and development of children. Failure to thrive may be the end point of any combination of a nutritional disorder, poor growth, and psychosocial deprivation. Hospital admission is rarely necessary and may be counterproductive. Day attendance, for investigation and observation of child-parent interaction, may be more valuable. Nutritional supplementation, together with nutritional counseling, can improve food intake and growth in children with failure to thrive.