Did You Know? 10 Feeding Tube Facts To Test Your Knowledge
Feeding tubes are an integral, life sustaining piece of the health care needs for many of our kiddos. They aid in providing nutrition to those who cannot receive it safely by mouth.
Because it is Feeding Tube Awareness Week, we want to help bring awareness to one of our favorite populations of kiddos. Below are ten little-known facts about feeding tubes straight from our team of dietitians. Test your knowledge as you go through the list. Were any of these facts new to you?
- A variety of nutritional sources can be delivered via feeding tube – breastmilk, formula (infant, pediatric, or adult formulations), or even blended foods.
- People can be tube fed using a pump, gravity bag, or syringe depending on what they need or can tolerate.
- You can still feel the sensation of hunger and fullness while being tube fed.
- People can still be active while having a feeding tube. Even individuals that are fed continuously can carry a backpack that contains their feeding pump. You can receive nutrition while doing nearly anything!
- Feeding tubes can start or “enter” in either the nose, mouth, or through the abdomen.
- If safe, a child with a feeding tube can still eat by mouth.
- Kids may have a feeding tube for their entire life or as little as a few weeks.
- A low-profile G-tube, with appropriate education and training, can be changed at home.
- You can still go swimming with a feeding tube.
- There are a variety of tube feeding accessories that are kid friendly to make it a fun part of daily life.
We know nutrition needs and the support required of feeding tubes can change with health status and growth among a variety of other things. If you have any questions about feeding tubes or enteral nutrition, reach out to a dietitian or leave a comment in this post.
Comments
💙🤍💙