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Published on: November 15, 2019

Characteristics of and weaning strategies in tube-dependent children

Akiko Ishizaki1, Shouji Hironaka, Masaru Tatsuno

  • 1Department of Special Needs Dentistry, Division of Hygiene and Oral Health, Showa University School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.

Pediatrics International : Official Journal of the Japan Pediatric Society
|December 21, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Children with prolonged tube feeding often show normal growth and development. Early intervention and encouraging self-feeding are key to successfully weaning children off feeding tubes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Child Nutrition
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Prolonged tube feeding is common in children even after eating/swallowing symptoms resolve.
  • Understanding tube dependence is crucial for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize tube-dependent children.
  • To identify causes of prolonged tube dependence.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective evaluation of clinical and growth data.
  • Analysis of medical records and referral forms for 35 children.

Main Results:

  • Median age at first visit was 30 months; 35.5 months at tube removal.
  • Most children (63%) were girls; many had mild mental retardation (69%) and underlying diseases (94%).
  • Underweight was common (45.7%); earlier tube removal was associated with younger initial visit age and increased finger feeding.

Conclusions:

  • Tube-dependent children generally exhibit near-normal growth and intellectual development.
  • Earlier intervention is more effective for weaning children from feeding tubes.
  • Reducing or stopping tube feeding and promoting self-feeding aids successful weaning.
Abstract

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