Benefits Of Using Milk Feeding Tubes

Posted by neomedinc on May 10th, 2021

Failing to feed a newborn baby is exceptionally frustrating, especially for the mother who desires to take care of a healthy baby. Sadly, life comes with many twists and turns, with the doctors advising feeding a pre-term baby through nasogastric tubes. The idea may seem terrifying at first, but the frail baby requires proper nutrition even when it cannot suckle at the mother's breast.

Tubes used to provide enteral feeding in babies are not the same, though. While the doctor in charge may choose to use an NG or nasogastric tube, others may find the gastrostomy tubes or the orogastric tube more effective. The best feeding tube depends on the condition of the neonate and the purpose of using an artificial device to ensure the supply of nutrients to the baby.

Although most parents are stunned on hearing about the mode of nutrition, most of them do not have any other choice for the baby is too weak and of low weight to make an effort to suckle at the mother's breast with any assistance. A baby that is born at the right time may have to undergo enteral feeding at times too. Failure to retain food and an aversion for swallowing along with a host of neurological issues may make the doctors recommend tube feeding.

While the nurse and care staff at the concerned medical facility will try their utmost to provide quality care to a baby fed with the aid of a tube, parents may require some training before the infant is discharged without consuming breast milk.

Placing a nasogastric tube inside the body of a frail infant is never easy and prone to several risks. Still, tube feeding remains the safest alternative for providing the right amount of nutrition to pre-term and severely ill babies to date. The tube is not only used to deliver expelled breast milk and formula, though. Sometimes, the staff at the NICU also uses it to administer liquid medication by directly allowing the fluid to reach the stomach.

One does not have to go through any books or literature to recognize an NG tube, however. It suffices to know that the tube is thin and flexible, inserted via the nostril, and moves down the esophagus to reach the stomach. This is the first tube that comes to the doctor's mind when trying to find an effective solution to feeding a baby. Besides, a nasogastric tube can be easily inserted both by professionals and amateurs with a bit of training. Removing the tube is simple, making it one of the most popular devices for enteral feeding. Using an NG tube for feeding a baby is one of the most effective solutions for short-term feeding.

An infant may have to be provided formula or fortified breast milk expelled at the proper intervals. Experts recommend using milk feeding tubes for this purpose.