Infant Journal
Browse articlesUse of size 4fr nasal gastric feeding tubes on the neonatal unit
The aim of this report is to show how to deliver the safest care to our babies on the neonatal unit by considering introducing the use of size 4fr enteral feeding tubes. Enteral feeding is a major part of neonatal care at St Peter’s Hospital. This report will show how literature supports use of enteral feeding as the preferred method to provide nutrition for preterm babies. Enteral feeding provides both nutritional and non-nutritional benefits, such as helping to develop brain growth, promoting maturity of the gut and reducing inflammation.1
Kirstie FluckerClinical Practice Educator, Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Full text available by subscription ...
Subscribe
The full text of this article is available to subscribers in text, and in Tablet/iPad format and as a PDF file.
Please subscribe and log in to see the full article.
Keywords
nasal gastric tube (NGT); feeding; mother’s expressed breast milk (MEBM); nasojejunal
Key points
- Increasing numbers of neonatal services support the use of smaller bore enteral feeding tubes in neonates weighing less that 1kg.
- Some units now support the use of smaller bore enteral feeding tubes in babies under 2kg who require respiratory support.
- Slower administration of feeds increases digestion of enteral feeds.
- Smaller bore enteral feeding tubes reduce the risk of vagal stimulation to low birthweight babies.
Also published in Infant:
VOLUME 16/ISSUE3, MAY 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting several challenges to human milk banks and has highlighted a number of vulnerabilities in service provision that have been long known by those who work in the sector. In recent weeks, milk banks across the UK have worked together to understand any risks posed to infants, milk bank staff and volunteers by COVID-19, and to put in place mitigation strategies to ensure the safeguarded provision and safety of donor human milk. The authors call on policymakers to better support these essential services for vulnerable neonates during the COVID-19 pandemic and minimise the impact of future challenges through greater investment in milk bank infrastructure, research and innovation.
