Initially, tube weaning was introduced to medically cater to premature kids and kids with special health conditions. Lately, parents with kids who are poor feeders have been opting to do tube weaning. In this case, tube weaning is applied when the kids can hardly swallow solid foods orally. This calls for assistance to help the children feed adequately. Tube weaning is very beneficial to kids by saving lives and that’s why it is embraced and practiced worldwide. For a successful tube weaning programs outcome, here are steps to consider.
Assessment
Treatment safety for the kids is very crucial to avoid the dangerous medical outcome. Qualified professionals will have no issues showing evidence for their work. As a parent seeking these services, health-related services are always case sensitive. So, getting detailed information saves you big. Therefore it is good to gather enough evidence to build confidence and go ahead and trust pediatrician.
Hunger Inductions
Feeding tubes are often associated with poor feeding. The hunger motivated instinct is primarily suppressed by these tubes. It’s normal at this stage to find patients resisting meals saying they are not hungry. To make them feel hungry, doctors recommend hunger induction practice process. To induce hunger and thirst, food therapists reduce a factor of fluids and nutrients for their patients. During this vital stage, results hardly match expectations.
Recovery Process.
You would be surprised to realize that some of these extreme conditions were mostly as a result of fear. Food fear, fear to chew, fear of spoons and forks, fear to execrate because of constipation and such. Therapists help the kids overcome fears by providing a comfortable feeding environment, like sharing a meal. Sharing meals, sharing the dining table and feeding at the same time with everyone else helps build kid’s confidence. Feeding programs should be observed both when on tube weaning and oral weaning. The recovery process should first be realized by the parents.
Conclusion
Tube weaning is very expensive in terms of cost and time. The cost of having a tube inserted is normally high. For home care patients, much attention and time are required from parents to closely monitor their babies response. A kid with feeding tubes cannot be exposed to outside because they are health sensitive. Therefore doctors instructions must be followed in every step. A successful transfer from tube weaning to oral feeding is the primary goal. To achieve this goal, it’s good to consider the mentioned steps towards tube weaning programs.