Is your child experiencing a problem in feeding or swallowing food? Is He/she is unable to intake food or liquids properly? Then this may act as a hindrance in your child’s growth. In such cases, the doctors suggest inserting a Gastronomy tube also known as G-tube or an NG-tube through the abdomen to deliver the essential nutrients into the body.
You might be thinking about the conditions that lead to Stomach Tube Insertion. Below are some of the common conditions that your child may require a G-tube:
1. Congenital problem- Problem in the mouth, stomach, intestine.
2. Swallowing issues- Mainly due to slow development, prematurity, brain injury.
3. Failure to thrive- Unable to gain weight and abnormal body growth.
4. Unable to take in medicines
5. Severe Abdominal pain
This insertion is a small procedure, which takes about 30 to 40 minutes and a max of 2-days stay at the hospital. The healing is fast and the kids can get back to their normal activities after the incision has healed.
How to take care of the tube and skin around after the procedure
The doctor will guide you on how to take care of the tube. Make sure to keep in mind these guidelines.
- Clean tube after and before use
This will help in the smooth flow of the food into the stomach and there will not be any blockage. Use 30 ml of water to clean the tube thoroughly.
- Unclog the tube immediately
If the tube gets clogged by any chance then immediately unclog it using 60 ml of warm water. Always use water or a soft brush to clear the passage. Never use a wire.
- Keep check on the length
Always check the length of the tube from the end till the point it goes into the body. If it gets longer, it may come out and if shorter then you should inform the doctor right away.
- Clean the skin around
Make sure to clean the skin around once every two days, there should not be any rashes or swelling around. Also, keep the skin around dry to prevent any infection.
- Use antibiotic cream
Use an antibiotic cream as directed by your doctor around the tube area after you are done with cleaning.
- Do not remove stitches
The doctor will remove the band-aid and medical tape after the skin heals within 24 hours. Ask your doctor about when can the kid shower or bathe.
You can know more about Stomach tube insertion at Nutrition4kids. They have all that you need to know about G-tube, inserting NG- tube at home, symptoms, precautions and expert tips from the best pediatrician in the field. You can also know about various kids related health issues and the best solution.
Visit the website http://www.nutrition4kids.com/ for more information.
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