Acceptability, Gastro Intestinal Tolerance Compliance of a Paediatric Tube-feed Formula Derived From Food for Children

Patients well established and stable on a standard enteral tube feed will be changed to a paediatric formula for a period of seven days. This group will act as their own controls. Each child will receive for a period of seven days the paediatric formula, a nutritionally complete standard enteral tube feed.

The dietitian will determine the feeding regimen on an individual basis and the enteral formula will be provided via a feeding tube. A baseline questionnaire will be completed by the dietitian to ensure eligibility of study, current stool patterns or symptoms, current oral intake and weight at the start of the study.

The parents will complete a week intake chart to monitor how much feed has been consumed each day and a tolerance diary to review gastrointestinal symptoms at the start and end of the study.

Inclusion criteria

• Require a tube feed (taking >75% of energy needs from their feeding tube) as part of their dietary management for disease related malnutrition
• Paediatrics aged 1 year above.
• Patients well established and stable on a standard or peptide enteral formula (no gastrointestinal intolerances on current formula)
• Willingly given, written, informed consent from patient or parent/guardian.
• Willingly given, written assent (if appropriate).

Exclusion criteria

• Inability to comply with the study protocol, in the opinion of the investigator
• Known food allergies to any ingredients (see ingredients list)
• Patients with significant renal or hepatic impairment
• Change in current medication or use of additional macro/micronutrient supplements during the study period, unless clinically indicated and prescribed by the investigator (must be recorded in patient case record file).
• Participation in another interventional study within 2 weeks of this study