Presenter Status
Early Career Investigator
Abstract Type
Clinical Research
Primary Mentor or Principal Investigator
Kristina Nash, APRN
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
19-5-2026 11:00 AM
End Date
19-5-2026 12:00 PM
Abstract Text
Background: Enteral feeding tubes are often required to support growth and nutrition in children with pediatric feeding disorder. When children are medically ready, feeding tube weaning can improve patient and family satisfaction, reduce health care costs, and enhance mealtime experiences. Many children receive traditional formulas, other families prefer diets made from foods that resemble a typical oral diet. Blended tube feeding provides this option and may improve feeding tolerance and gastrointestinal symptoms which can support improved oral intake and successful tube weaning.
Objectives/Goal: This study aimed to compare whether children receiving blended diets achieved a successful tube wean faster than children receiving traditional formulas.
Methods/Design: A single site, non-randomized trial of remote patient monitoring supported feeding tube weaning at a midwestern tertiary care center. Children ages 0–6 years; medically cleared to wean were recruited through an interdisciplinary feeding clinic. Caregivers trained to use the CHAMP App® for weekly weights and daily diet records. Children followed a hunger provocation protocol over four weeks. Data collected included demographics, medical history, and diet type (blended vs. formula). A “blended diet” was defined as a home-prepared blend made with dietitian consultation or a commercial blended product. A “formula diet” was defined as milk-based, hypoallergenic, dairy-free formula, or breastmilk. Outcomes included whether the child achieved full oral intake and the number of days required to wean. Group differences were assessed using t-tests and chi-square tests. Cox regression evaluated the effect of diet type duration of wean, controlling for percent estimated energy requirement (%EER) provided by tube feeds at baseline.
Results: Forty-six children enrolled between October 2023 and May 2025. Most (87%) successfully weaned to full oral intake in an average of 44.25 ± 31.6 days. The 13% who did not reach full oral intake continued weaning for 130 ± 69 days (p = .014). Success rates did not differ significantly between groups (90% blended vs. 84.6% formula, p = .591). At baseline, children on blended diets were older (44.3 ± 18.8 vs. 26.8 ± 13.8 months, p < .001), had higher weight for length z-scores (0.814 ± 1.1 vs. 0.042 ± 0.99, p = .010), higher %EER (71.9 ± 35.9 vs. 51.9 ± 30.8, p = .024), and had feeding tubes for a longer (35.5 ± 17.9 vs. 18.5 ± 12.9 months, p < .001). Children on blended diets trended toward faster weaning (46.15 ± 30.0 vs. 62.8 ± 57.1 days, p = .122). In the Cox regression model (p = .005), blended diet use was associated with a hazard ratio of 2.043 (95% CI 1.02–4.084, p = .04), indicating significantly faster weaning when controlling for %EER.
Conclusion: Children receiving blended diets reached full oral intake approximately twice as quickly as those receiving traditional formulas, despite baseline characteristics associated with slower weaning. Blended diets may reduce gastrointestinal symptoms and enhance oral readiness; however, additional research is needed to clarify causal mechanisms and caregiver perspectives.
Benefits of a Blended Diet: Secondary analysis of the impact of diet type on feeding tube weaning success
Background: Enteral feeding tubes are often required to support growth and nutrition in children with pediatric feeding disorder. When children are medically ready, feeding tube weaning can improve patient and family satisfaction, reduce health care costs, and enhance mealtime experiences. Many children receive traditional formulas, other families prefer diets made from foods that resemble a typical oral diet. Blended tube feeding provides this option and may improve feeding tolerance and gastrointestinal symptoms which can support improved oral intake and successful tube weaning.
Objectives/Goal: This study aimed to compare whether children receiving blended diets achieved a successful tube wean faster than children receiving traditional formulas.
Methods/Design: A single site, non-randomized trial of remote patient monitoring supported feeding tube weaning at a midwestern tertiary care center. Children ages 0–6 years; medically cleared to wean were recruited through an interdisciplinary feeding clinic. Caregivers trained to use the CHAMP App® for weekly weights and daily diet records. Children followed a hunger provocation protocol over four weeks. Data collected included demographics, medical history, and diet type (blended vs. formula). A “blended diet” was defined as a home-prepared blend made with dietitian consultation or a commercial blended product. A “formula diet” was defined as milk-based, hypoallergenic, dairy-free formula, or breastmilk. Outcomes included whether the child achieved full oral intake and the number of days required to wean. Group differences were assessed using t-tests and chi-square tests. Cox regression evaluated the effect of diet type duration of wean, controlling for percent estimated energy requirement (%EER) provided by tube feeds at baseline.
Results: Forty-six children enrolled between October 2023 and May 2025. Most (87%) successfully weaned to full oral intake in an average of 44.25 ± 31.6 days. The 13% who did not reach full oral intake continued weaning for 130 ± 69 days (p = .014). Success rates did not differ significantly between groups (90% blended vs. 84.6% formula, p = .591). At baseline, children on blended diets were older (44.3 ± 18.8 vs. 26.8 ± 13.8 months, p < .001), had higher weight for length z-scores (0.814 ± 1.1 vs. 0.042 ± 0.99, p = .010), higher %EER (71.9 ± 35.9 vs. 51.9 ± 30.8, p = .024), and had feeding tubes for a longer (35.5 ± 17.9 vs. 18.5 ± 12.9 months, p < .001). Children on blended diets trended toward faster weaning (46.15 ± 30.0 vs. 62.8 ± 57.1 days, p = .122). In the Cox regression model (p = .005), blended diet use was associated with a hazard ratio of 2.043 (95% CI 1.02–4.084, p = .04), indicating significantly faster weaning when controlling for %EER.
Conclusion: Children receiving blended diets reached full oral intake approximately twice as quickly as those receiving traditional formulas, despite baseline characteristics associated with slower weaning. Blended diets may reduce gastrointestinal symptoms and enhance oral readiness; however, additional research is needed to clarify causal mechanisms and caregiver perspectives.
Comments
Poster Board Number: 17