Tube Feeding

Just contemplating the idea of a feeding tube can feel very scary and stressful for many parents and caregivers. With these resources, support from your healthcare team, and practice, your child’s health and nutrition can improve and you can successfully integrate tube feeding into your family meal routine.

Here are a few comments from parents about life with tube feeding:

  • “Without the tube, my baby would have had to stay in hospital for a long time. It was a hard choice at first. Tube feedings seemed scary to me. But I was tired of going to the hospital. My family was suffering because I was away from home for so long. Bringing my son home now meant coming home with the tube and the responsibility was ours. But we got used to it quickly and now we wished we had considered it sooner.”   
  • “When they first told me that I should try putting my own tube in, I thought ‘no way!’ But then I realized that if I knew how to reinsert the tube, I could take the tube out when it was not being used.”     
  • “Other people may look at you when you are walking in the mall with tubes held high in the air, but you will be surprised how many other parents will stop and say that they had to do that for their children too.  Forget about those who stare – sometimes a simple explanation is all that’s needed for understanding.”

Preparing, using, and cleaning ENFit tubes and syringes playlist

How to clean an ENFit feeding tube

How to give feeds with an ENFit feeding tube

Giving medications with a non ENFit syringe

How to give medication with an ENFit feeding tube

 

One day at a time: coping with home tube feeding

Insertion of a Mickey G-Tube

Insertion of a balloon style gastrostomy feeding tube

Insertion of an NG Tube

Kangaroo™ Connect Enteral Feeding Pump videos:

https://www.cardinalhealth.com/en/product-solutions/medical/enteral-feeding/resources/kangaroo-connect-enteral-feeding-pump-videos.html

Children's Wisconsin videos | Gtube videos | Children's Wisconsin

Understanding Feeding Tubes

*Note: some of our practices at AHS may differ from those shown in the videos
 
PEG tube, caring for your child's G-tube

*Note: some of our practices at AHS may differ from those shown in the videos
 
Giving medicines through a feeding tube
*Note: some of our practices at AHS may differ from those shown in the videos
 
Venting a G-tube

*Note: some of our practices at AHS may differ from those shown in the videos
 
Why do children need GJ-tubes?

*Note: some of our practices at AHS may differ from those shown in the videos
 
GJ-Tube: Cleaning the site

*Note: some of our practices at AHS may differ from those shown in the videos
 
GJ-Tube: Securing the tube

*Note: some of our practices at AHS may differ from those shown in the videos
 
Feedings through the GJ-tube

*Note: some of our practices at AHS may differ from those shown in the videos
 
GJ-tube: Flushing

*Note: some of our practices at AHS may differ from those shown in the videos

Note: The PEAS project is working on a single set of provincial resources, however we have posted these existing materials in the meantime

PEAS Website

Provincial handouts

Alberta Children's Hospital handouts

Stollery Children's Hospital handouts

Additional Resources

Websites

General Health Information

Pediatric Home Enteral Nutrition Clinics in Alberta