Enteral Feeding and Blended Diets

The number of children and adults who are enterally tube-fed in the community has been increasing steadily, this is commonly referred to as Home Enteral Tube Feeding (HETF). The aim of enteral feeding is to optimise the patient’s nutritional status and to deliver their estimated nutritional requirements safely. The majority of HETF individuals are prescribed a commercially prepared formula, which is sterile and nutritionally complete.  

However, the blending of food with liquid and given through the enteral feeding tube, is becoming increasingly popular practice, especially with parents of tube-fed children. The term blended diet has been used in this document, however, alternative descriptions that are used include pureed food, liquidised food/diet, and blenderised foods. This is general food and fluids that are blended to a consistency whereby it can be administered via an enteral feeding tube.

The growing interest, regarding the use of blended diet via an enteral feeding tube as an alternative or along with commercially prepared feed has been driven by parents in response to the patient/family reported benefits from changing to this method of feeding

 

Improving the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of expectant mothers, infants, children and young people throughout Aneurin Bevan University Health Board Area.

(N.B: The Family and Therapies team at ABUHB is NOT responsible for the content on the webpage links that we refer to in our resource sections and linked information to external sites. All information was accurate and appropriate at the time the webpage was created.)

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