Feeding Disorders in Children With Tracheostomy Tubes

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Pediatric Otolaryngology

Background:

• Tracheostomy in children can lead to significant feeding dysfunction.
• Understanding feeding challenges is vital for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe feeding dysfunction in children with tracheostomy.
• To identify factors associated with feeding difficulties in this population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of children evaluated by an interdisciplinary feeding program.
• Analysis of demographic, diagnostic, nutritional, and feeding data.
• Utilized validated psychometric instruments for feeding dysfunction assessment.

Main Results:

• Children with tracheostomy showed delayed food texture acceptance and poorer mealtime behaviors.
• Low weight- and height-for-age z-scores were observed, with a high reliance on tube feeding.
• Significantly worse scores on the Mealtime Behavior Questionnaire and the About Your Child's Eating survey were noted.

Conclusions:

• Enteral nutrition, poor oral-feeding skills, malnutrition, and challenging mealtime behaviors are linked to tracheostomy.
• Ventilator dependence, cuffed tracheostomy, and speaking valve use were less frequently associated with feeding program evaluation.