Intestinal failure is an uncommon but devastating condition. Infants with intestinal failure due to severe short bowel syndrome or other diagnoses previously considered incompatible with life are now routinely being saved and cared. Enteral nutrition plays a central role in the management of infants with intestinal failure. The current article emphasizes on the guidelines for the advancement of enteral feeding in the pediatric patients with intestinal failure.
The introduction of enteral nutrition (EN) at an early stage is a key to achieve intestinal autonomy. EN is essential to stimulate and enhance the adaptive processes of the remaining gut. Malabsorption due to the reduction of absorptive surface area is unavoidable and excessive nutrients cause an osmotic load resulting in diarrhea. Unabsorbed nutrients can also be fermented by the intestinal bacterial flora causing clinical…
