title: Parent-reported effects of gastrostomy tube placement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For children with major feeding problems and their parents, meals may be unpleasant. We aimed to evaluate how insertion of a gastrostomy tube influenced parent-child communication and satisfaction during meals, as well as duration of meals, oral intake, vomiting, and growth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children admitted for a gastrostomy tube placement were included. Age, sex, diagnosis, and preoperative nasogastric tube were registered. Weight, height, oral feeding, duration of meals, and vomiting were assessed preoperatively and 6 and 18 months postoperatively. We used a numeric rating scale to assess parent-reported parental stress, child satisfaction, parent satisfaction, and parent-child communication during meals at all 3 time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-eight children were included: 33 boys and 25 girls. Median age was 1.7 years (range, 0.5-14.7 years). Thirty-nine were neurologically impaired, and 44 had a nasogastric tube for a median of 7.5 months (range, 0.5-28 months) preoperatively. Child satisfaction (P = .001), parent satisfaction (P = .006), and parent-child communication (P = .026) during meals were significantly improved 18 months after receiving a gastrostomy tube. Vomiting was reduced in 42%, oral intake increased in 49%, and weight-for-height percentile increased in 55% of the children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children with major feeding problems, a gastrostomy tube improved parent-child communication and satisfaction during meals. Furthermore, oral intake was increased, and vomiting was reduced. Growth improved in around half of the children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Tone Lise
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Åvitsland
authors.forename: Kjersti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Birketvedt
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bjørnland
authors.forename: Ragnhild
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Emblem
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D004435:Eating; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019959:Feeding and Eating Disorders of Childhood / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014839:Vomiting / Q000517:prevention & control; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: children; enteral nutrition; feeding and eating disorders of childhood; gastrostomy; growth; meals