One of the most rewarding parts of our job is being part of a tube-weaning team for a child that is learning to eat!
What does that mean? Many of our patients have feeding tubes to help them get adequate nutrition for growth and development. A feeding tube can be a life-saver for a child who has medical issues that have prevented the normal progression of feeding skill development. A feeding tube can also provide support for children who previously were eating by mouth, but something has disrupted that process and they need additional food by tube for a short or long period of time.
The doctors and hospitals are AMAZING at helping these kids get set up for feeding tube success! But what happens when a child has relied on a tube for a long time, and needs help learning or resuming eating by mouth? A number of things have to be in place! FIRSTLY – the family has to be ready. Tube weaning can be stressful, as children often lose a little weight and have to learn to regulate their appetite. Secondly, tube weaning requires a dedicated team of experienced professionals to manage the medications (doctors), development of oral-motor skills (speech-language pathologists), family support (mental health specialists), and most importantly to us at Feed to Succeed – a confident and experienced nutrition expert to assist with timing of calorie adjustment, fluid adjustment, feeding routine, and more – Dietitians!
Want to know more? Participate in our upcoming 3-part webinar series this summer! We will be teaching about the nutrition piece, hearing from families we have worked with as they share their experiences, and sharing some Feed to Succeed case studies. This webinar is free for parents, and although paid for professionals, an invaluable opportunity to learn more while earning continuing ed credit for both Early Intervention providers and RDN’s! Visit this link now to register, as space is limited!
https://academy.feedtosucceed.com/courses/tube-weaning-webinar-series-progression-protocols-and-parent-perspectives-full-series
