Pediatric Tube Feeding

PEDIATRIC TUBE FEEDING

As a parent faced with tube feeding a child for the first time, the process, along with all of the equipment and supplies, may seem overwhelming. But the fact is, tube feeding helps children get the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.

There are many reasons why a healthcare professional may recommend that a child be tube fed:¹

Gastrointestinal disease
Short bowel syndrome
Neurological impairment (for example, cerebral palsy, anoxic brain injury, severe seizure disorder)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Pulmonary disease
Cystic fibrosis
Congenital heart disease

There are a few different ways of giving tube feedings and it depends on the child’s needs and tolerance.

Below is an overview of the different types of feedings available, but always discuss with your feeding team which method will work best for your child.

Bolus Feedings: These feedings are given like a regular meal – larger amounts over a shortened period of time, with several hours in between feedings.
Continuous Feedings: Using this method, the tube feeding formula is given slowly over a long period of time (usually 18-20 hours). For some children, this method is better tolerated than bolus feedings. And certain tubes, like the GJ-tube or J-tube, require this method.¹
Combination Feedings: As you may have guessed from the name, this method combines both bolus and continuous feeding methods. Most commonly, children on combination feedings will do bolus feedings during the day and continuous for overnight.

Regardless of the method of tube feeding your child receives, a variety of highly specialized tube feeding formulas are available that can help your child get the nutrition their body needs to grow and thrive. There are also several options for feeding pumps, and even a few that are sized right for kids. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find the combination that works best – partner with a registered dietitian to find the best solution for you and your child.

Axelrod et al. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 2006; 30:S21–S26.

Tube feeding a child may be a scary concept at first, but rest assured: tube feeding can provide children with the nutrition they need to grow and thrive!

Tube feeding does not have to limit a child’s ability to play!

Even kids who feed continuously can still be active, as long as their bodies allow it – they can wear their feeding pump in a backpack.

Consider a diet with real foods

A blenderized diet can include real foods, not just formulas. Talk to your registered dietitian about commercially available blenderized diets, or look for tube feeding formulas that include real food ingredients.

Bowel movements are a window to the GI tract.

Changes in consistency can indicate intolerance to foods and formulas or the feeding rate.