title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Outpatient Protocol for Transitioning Children from Tube to Oral Feeding: No Need for Amitriptyline.
abstract: To assess the role of amitriptyline in the effectiveness of an outpatient protocol for weaning medically complicated children from tube to oral feeding.
  
  
  
  Twenty-one children seen in multidisciplinary outpatient feeding teams across 4 sites were recruited to a randomized placebo-controlled trial of a 6-month outpatient treatment protocol with behavioral, oral-motor, nutrition, and medication components.
  
  
  
  All of the children who completed the 6-month program (73%) were weaned to receive only oral feeding, regardless of group assignment. The transition from tube to oral feeding resulted in decreases in body mass index percentile and pain, some improvements in quality of life, and no statistically significant changes in cost.
  
  
  
  Amitriptyline is not a key component of this otherwise effective outpatient, interdisciplinary protocol for weaning children from tube to oral feeding.
  
  
  
  ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01206478.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS; Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition, Kansas City, MO. Electronic address: Adavis6@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition, Kansas City, MO.
authors.forename: Kelsey
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Department, University of California San Diego/Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA.
authors.forename: Hayat
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mousa
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Gastroenterology, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Gastroenterology, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cocjin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS.
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Almadhoun
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS.
authors.forename: Jianghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS; Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition, Kansas City, MO.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: New Orleans Children's Hospital, New Orleans, LA.
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Hyman
mesh_terms: D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010045:Outpatients; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000639:Amitriptyline