Relating to or characterized by athrepsia; malnourished or failing to thrive due to inadequate nutrition or care.
From athrepsia plus the adjectival suffix -ic. This medical adjective is derived from the same Greek roots meaning 'without nourishment.'
The word 'athreptic' disappeared from most medical dictionaries after the 1950s because doctors realized the condition wasn't just about nutrition—it was also about emotional attachment and touch, leading to new understanding of what babies actually need.
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