Most of us take oral feeding for granted. We think of it as a natural thing that everyone does to get their nutrition. Few can imagine any other way. Yet consider people who are in the hospital who are unable to eat by themselves. Many of them are bound to tubes. Unfortunately, a lot of babies also live this way because of congenital conditions. They might have problems swallowing food or even water. They might gag and have trouble breathing. Tube feeding provides them with nutrition direct to the stomach to make sure that they continue to grow. However, this comes at a cost.
Long-term Dependency
Parents often feel helpless in this situation. They use tubes to allow their children to survive despite their inborn condition. This does give them time to treat the underlying cause but the child can develop a dependency on the tube in the meantime. Even when there should no longer be a physical impediment, psychological issues might arise to prevent normalcy. Kids could refuse to eat no matter what parents do to entice them. They might be averse to oral feeding just because it is foreign to them. If they try, they might vomit in the attempt. They could also experience gagging on the food.
Home Based Tube Weaning, it is important to take this slowly and carefully because of the sensitivity of the situation. Forcing children to eat from the mouth may only cause them to grow more averse to the meals. They might be traumatized with the force and become deeply resentful. Parents should seek the help of experts in seeking a return to normalcy. Home based tube weaning is possible if done correctly. The child can still hope to live a regular life. One study recommends doing this weaning process in five stages that include assessment, preparation, hunger induction, intensive treatment, and follow-up. This claims a 90% success rate.
Parents will do anything for their children no matter how difficult it might be. Thanks to science, there are now ways to help them in this particular situation. It is stressful to see your child having such trouble in something that other people deem so easy. Yet this integral part of survival can be a tricky thing to navigate. Young adult are prone to developing eating disorders. Young children can become dependent on feeding tubes. As long as care is exercised in using multi-dimensional approaches, they will still have a chance at freedom from the tube.
