feeding through a nasal tube

[nessamartin5]

hi, has anyone got any experience of caring for a child who has to be fed through a nasal tube, if so whether good or bad i would like to hear from you as i have a child due to start with me on monday! thanx vanessa

[nikim]

my son had a nasal tube when he was born as he was prem and had it for a month after he came home , its really very straight forward even replacing it if they pull it out ,they gave us litmus paper so we could draw up fluid from the stomach with a syringe then put it on the paper and if it went purple it was in the stomach if not it would have to come out and be reinserted (this turned my husbands stomach ) you just have to make sure you follow strict hygiene regarding the feeding etc, im sure mum will show you how to do it it may also be an idea to get the childs nurse ,(im assuming they are under a care team) to come round and show you so you get it right ,but honestly its really nothig to worry about ,how old is the child?

[AliceK]

My DD was fed by a nasal tube after she was born. If I'm honest I couldn't handle it at all (maybe because she was my own). I told the hospital there was no way I could take her home until she was off it . I just couldn't bear the distress of having to put it back in everytime she pulled it out and panicked incase I did it wrong. The actual feeding itself is fine and very easy. Good luck. You're stronger than I am.

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[haribo]

had no experience of this and to be honest i really dont think could do it either just want to say good luck

[Alibali]

I worked in special care baby unit so have worked with loads, it really is nothing to worry about, the only thing is to ensure tube is in stomach before feeding ( with the litmus paper as above) Tiny babies pull them out often, but once they're a bit bigger they are secured in place with stronger tape, so you shouldn't have to replace it.

I would ask to be taught how to do it by the childs nurse or something so you fully understand what is happening. Pm me with any concerns.

[sonia ann]

As Ali says it really is nothing to worry about. How old is the child ?
The older they are the less likely they are to pull the tube out once they are used to it. Just make sure you get some training either from the mum herself or preferably nurse/ health visitor.
Before every feed you will be shown how to draw a little of the stomach juices up the tube with a syringe, this is placed on litmus paper which will change colour with the acidity to show it is in the stomach.
The milk feed can then be poured into the syringe and gravity fed through the tube into the stomach.If it is a baby they are usually encouraged to suck on a dummy at the same time as if they were suckling.
There is a danger of passing a tube down into the lungs this is why you always check every time.

[bexcee]

Surely you need some basic training before you can take this child on? I would be very wary about starting to look after a child without knowing what I was doing and how to care for their basic needs.
I think you need to contact 'mum' and ask for her to show you exactly what would need doing on a daily basis and then get in touch with either your local practice nurse or the child's named nurse and ask for medical training from a professional.