This is an acceptability study to evaluate the gastrointestinal tolerance and compliance over a seven-day period, of a low calorie paediatric peptide based tube feed formula for the dietary management of participants with short bowel syndrome; intractable malabsorption; preoperative preparation of undernourished patients; inflammatory bowel disease; total gastrectomy; dysphagia; bowel fistulae;

The acceptability data from 15 participants will be collected in order to submit an application to the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS).

Patients well established and stable on a standard or peptide enteral tube feed will be changed to a low calorie paediatric formula for a period of seven days. This group will act as their own controls. Each child will receive for a period of seven days the paediatric formula.

The dietitian will determine the feeding regimen on an individual basis and the enteral formula will be provided via a feeding tube. A baseline questionnaire will be completed by the dietitian to ensure eligibility of study, current stool patterns or symptoms and weight at the start of the study.

The parents will complete a week intake chart to monitor how much feed has been consumed each day and a tolerance diary to review gastrointestinal symptoms at the start and end of the study.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Exclusively tube fed
• Paediatrics aged 1 year above who require a low calorie feed
• Children with Neurological impairment (NI) who require long term tube feeding
• Patients established on a standard or peptide Enteral formula (no gastrointestinal intolerances on a current formula)
• Willingly given, written, informed consent from patient or parent/guardian.
• Willingly given, written assent (if appropriate).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to comply with the study protocol, in the opinion of the investigator
• Known food allergies to any ingredients (see ingredients list)
• Patients with significant renal or hepatic impairment
• Participation in another interventional study within 2 weeks of this study.

Yes see details below

The study has been published in a journal

Avaliable on the internet