Side-Effects OfLong Term Enteral Feeding In Infancy and

Childhood

The main reason for enteral feeding (feeding by tube) is the coverage of an adequate nutritional intake in cases when oral feeding does not meet the required needs.

Although there are many advantages of temporary tube feeding there also are some disadvantages.

Main Reason For Enteral Feeding

Advantages of enteral feedingThe most important advantage of temporary tube feeding is its life-sustaining nutritional function. A sufficient enteral nutritional supply can help to ensure better thriving as well as the child’s general development in cases when oral intake is decreased or impossible for a predictable period of time.

Children should benefit from this intervention so that they are able to recover and grow. A medical indication and definition of clear goals are necessary before tube placement.

Theoretical BackgroundCommon negative side effects are:

Psychological stress in the affected families

Negative impact on general development through recurrent vomiting

Retching

Gagging

Tube dislocations and other direct complications of the tubes.

Aim Of The StudyEvaluation of non-nutritional side-effects in a sample of 268 tube fed children over a period of 3 years.

Method

NauseaSweating No hungerVomitingRetching Skin irritations Granulation tissueGagging and description of other symptoms in an open response format.

Retrospective statistical analysis of a parent documented medical questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions about the following symptoms:

Results

Most children came from:Australia (19.8%), USA (16%),Germany (14.6%), Austria (13.1%) and Great Britain (10.8%).

175 had a NG- and 93 a PEG- tube.

All patients were predominantly dependent on enteral nutrition. The mean age was 2.16 years.

Results232 (87%) patients reported negative side-effects.

Almost every child in this sample showed at least two negative side-effects.

Tube Weaning As The Exit Strategy Before the decision for enteral feeding is made a thorough evaluation of pros and cons should be discussed by the medical team in charge and the child’s caretakers.Furthermore it is important to have an exit-strategy like Notube’s Netcoaching.

Learn About Different Kinds Of Feeding Tubes, What They Entail, And What It Means For Your Child 

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