Results of an International Survey on Feeding Management in Infants With Short Bowel Syndrome-Associated Intestinal Failure

Giovanna Verlato, Susan Hill, European Reference Network on Rare and Inherited Congenital Anomalies (ERNICA), Cora Jonkers-Schuitema, Sarah Macdonald, Dominique Guimber, Emmanuelle Echochard-Dugelay, Rebecca Pulvirenti, Cecile Lambe, Merit Tabbers

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a complex and rare condition (incidence 1200/100,000 live births) that requires a multidisciplinary team approach to management. In January 2019, the first European Reference Network on Rare and Inherited Congenital Anomalies (ERNICA) Intestinal Failure (IF) workshop was held. Several questions about the strategies used in managing IF associated with SBS were devised. The aim of our study was to collect data on the enteral feeding strategies adopted by the ERNICA centres. Methods: A questionnaire (36 questions) about strategies used to introduce enteral nutrition post-operatively and start complementary food/solids in infants with SBS associated IF was developed and sent to 24 centres in 15 countries that participated in the ERNICA-IF workshop. The answers were collated and compared with the literature. Results: There was a 100% response rate. In infants, enteral nutrition was introduced as soon as possible, ideally within 24–48 hours post-small intestinal surgical resection. In 10 of 24 centres, bolus feeding was used, in nine continuous, and in five a combination of both. Twenty-three centres used mothers’ own milk as the first choice of feed with extensively hydrolysed feed, amino acid-based feed, donor human milk or standard preterm/term formula as the second choice. Although 22 centres introduced complementary/solid food by 6 months of age, food choice varied greatly between centres and appeared to be culturally based. Conclusions: There is diversity in post-surgical enteral feeding strategies among centres in Europe. Further multi-centre studies could help to increase evidence-based medicine and management on this topic.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)647-653
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Volume73
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2021

Bibliographical note

This research is supported by the European Reference Network for
rare Inherited and Congenital Anomalies (ERNICA)—Project ID
739544. ERNICA is partly co-funded by the European Union within
the framework of the Third Health Programme ‘‘ERN-2016— Framework Partnership Agreement 2017–2021".
The content of this paper represents the views of the authors only and it is their sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect
the views of the European Commission and/or the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (CHAFEA) or any
other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Agency do not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.

Publisher Copyright: Copyright © ESPGHAN and NASPGHAN. All rights reserved.

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