title: Home enteral nutrition in children: a 14-year multicenter survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The practice of home enteral nutrition (HEN) represents a relevant aspect of the clinical management of both malnourished children and well-nourished children unable to be fed using an oral diet. The aim of this study was to estimate in an Italian paediatric population over a 14-year period (1996-2009), the clinical relevance and results over time of HEN activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  HEN-computerized database and medical/dietetic charts were evaluated for patients aged at start of HEN <18 years and HEN duration >1 month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, we recorded 757 HEN programs. HEN began at a median age of 2 years for a median duration of 8.1 months. The complication rate was 14.8%. In the second period of the survey (2003-2009), the main changes concerned the underlying diseases requiring HEN, choice of formula feeding and access route. In 2009, the estimated overall prevalence of HEN was 3.47 and the incidence 2.45 per 100 000 inhabitants from 0 to 18 years of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The epidemiological data of this study demonstrate that HEN concerns a growing number of Italian children and families. Some aspects of HEN clinical management should be modified to reach the recommended standards.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy. antonella.diamanti@opbg.net
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diamanti
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Di Ciommo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tentolini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lezo
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Spagnuolo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campanozzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Panetta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sole Basso
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gambarara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000009:adverse effects; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000503:physiopathology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D013997:Time Factors