Blended Foods For Tube-fed Children: A Safe And Realistic Option? A Rapid Review Of The Evidence

Title

Blended Foods For Tube-fed Children: A Safe And Realistic Option? A Rapid Review Of The Evidence

Creator

Coad J; Toft A; Lapwood S; Manning J; Hunter M; Jenkins H; Sadlier J; Kennedy A; Murch S; Widdas D

Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2016-311030

Publisher

Archives Of Disease In Childhood

Date

2017

Subject

Child; Clinical Research; Constipation; Human; Nervous System Diseases; Nutrition; Only Child; Safety

Description

With the growing number of children and young people with complex care needs or life-limiting conditions, alternative routes for nutrition have been established (such as gastrostomy feeding). The conditions of children and young people who require such feeding are diverse but could relate to problems with swallowing (dysphagia), digestive disorders or neurological/muscular disorders. However, the use of a blended diet as an alternative to prescribed formula feeds for children fed via a gastrostomy is a contentious issue for clinicians and researchers. From a rapid review of the literature, we identify that current evidence falls into three categories: (1) those who feel that the use of a blended diet is unsafe and substandard; (2) those who see benefits of such a diet as an alternative in particular circumstances (eg, to reduce constipation) and (3) those who see merit in the blended diet but are cautious to proclaim potential benefits due to the lack of clinical research. There may be some benefits to using blended diets, although concerns around safety, nutrition and practical issues remain.

Rights

Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

Citation List Month

May 2017 List

Citation

Coad J; Toft A; Lapwood S; Manning J; Hunter M; Jenkins H; Sadlier J; Kennedy A; Murch S; Widdas D, “Blended Foods For Tube-fed Children: A Safe And Realistic Option? A Rapid Review Of The Evidence,” Pediatric Palliative Care Library, accessed October 9, 2024, https://pedpalascnetlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/10829.