GI Doctors Recommending Feeding Tube for My 19 Month Old

If he is eating well, he will catch up. I would definitely get some more opinions. Good luck, hon.

P.S. - My step son was only 3lbs. 3 oz. at birth. he now weighs 333 lbs. No feeding tubes, ever. :)

I dont know much on this topic, but always get a second opinion when it comed to stuff like this. Good luck

Hi C.,
I know first hand what a scary situation this is, and how you want to rely on doctors to make the right choices based on their medical knowledge but your gut is saying something different. I have 2 daughters who were micro-preemies; they were born at 24 weeks. My 1 daughter just got ON the chart at 3 years of age (she's only 25 lbs). My other daughter is still in the 10th percentile. Head and length have always been better. They've met their milestones and I have a fabulous pediatrician who's very reassuring. I know other children in the very same circumstance who almost went the g-tube route and their children were BIGGER than mine! My doctor has NEVER brought up the g-tube for either of my girls; as long as they are gaining some weight, following "their own curve" and developing - he has never seen a need for a referral to GI.

That said, my 6-month-old son has a g-tube for other feeding reasons. (He's almost 20 lbs and at the 75-90th percentile... but has other issues requiring the g-tube.) So if you are wanting more information about the upkeep, procedure, etc. - you're more than welcome to ask!

I have learned that GI docs are more interested in surgery than alternative methods. During our most recent follow-up visit, they offered 2 surgical interventions. I kept asking what alternative medications we could try, and I don't think they were happy with our decision not to proceed with more surgery (something that was not recommended by countless other docs). I think that the GI doc specializes in surgery and therefor looks at that option first; but they only consider 1 aspect of the child and not the overall picture.

So even though the GI docs are recommending g-tube for your child, what does the pediatrician say? Are you in a developmental clinic because of your child being born early - what do they say about weight and growth? Are there alternatives before a g-tube? (Years ago I had friends with a 2-year old not gaining weight, diagnosed "failure to thrive." They used an NG-tube several times a day to give her more pediasure - she slowly gained enough weight to not need the G-tube.)

Good luck to you. This is a very hard decision to make.
A wonderful family member once told me - "Whatever decision you make, it's the right one." You will make the best decision you can at the time that it needs to be made, with the information that you have at hand. And whatever decision you do make, it will be the right one for your family and your situation. You can't with any confidence predict what will happen in the future, and so you just do what you can now.

Sorry for the rambling. :)

Look, no doctor wants to put a feeding tube in a baby for fun. If your child has failure to thrive, supplemental feeding is a very common way of treating this. It is perfectly fine for you to seek a second opinion, and ask questions about what other options might be available (for example, can use use a removable NG tube, can you use oral feeding of high calorie liquids such as pediasure, etc.) There is obviously a concern about your child's growth, and feeding through a G tube at night can be a very effective way of getting the calories in. Get a second opinion from a pediatrician and a pediatric gasroenterologist and see what advice they have.

If your son in growing and developing why are they recommending a feeding tube? If your mommy instincts are questioning if this is nescessary then I would get a second opinion.
Blessings, K.

There must be more to this story, but if you are worried about it - definitely get a second opinion before doing something you aren't sure of.

Hello C., This conserns me! If his development is progressing well, then he is not malnurished. My middle daughter was full term, weighed 7lb,8oz at birth, yet was always below normal on the growth charts as time went on. People always thought she was my youngest. Yet her development was right on target, and now as an adult she is average for her size. Much shorter than my other two, but a good weight for her height. In my opinion, you should get a second opinion. Make sure the docs aren't just wanting more money in their pockets at your childs expence. If you get a second opinion at one of the childrens hospitals, that would be best. Good luck.

Please get a second opinion! I would not move forward on this till I knew it was definitely needed and there are no alternatives. Both sides of this are hard - you don't not want your baby not to be getting enough nutrition and you also don't want surgery and implications from this recommendation without knowing its necessity and any alternatives.

How is he going to learn appropriate eating behaviours if he is fed through a tube? My son is 7 1/2 and was off the chart he was so small and no one ever suggested feeding tubes. The whole point of charts and averages mean that someone has to be at the bottom (and top) for the averages to work. I would get a second opinion.

Get a second opinion. That is a fairly drastic measure for a little guy. Make sure it is the only option before moving forward.

Nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. Follow your mommy instincts, doctors don't know everything. YOU know your child best. Seek out another specialist and get a second opinion.

Get a second opinion before doing anything

Feeding tubes are less invasive than you think and will unlikely be permanent. If there are nutritional issues I personally would consider it.

Ask your GI doctor as to why he's considering it to put your mind at ease. There's his weight but also his protein levels may be low, he may have some absorption issues and may not be adsorbing his nutrients as well as he should.

I doubt that they would do so simply because he wasn't on the scale. They would have to base his development on his own curve. He may have been 25% under and then drastically falls down to 50% under.

We truly have to be our children's own advocate and an informed parent is the best advocate there is. You can get a second opinion but where does that leave you if you still have unanswered questions.

HTH,
D.

How much does he weigh? I have a friend who's baby is 18 months old and he's about 17.5 lbs but is doing fine. As long as your son is eating I might get a second opinion?

My son was 5 wks early and 5.3lbs. we had to do weight checks every 6 wks until he was 18 mo's old. It was never mentioned to put him on a feeding tube-NEVER. He is 4.5 yrs old now and is still below the "0%" on the charts!. I even switched peds dr's when he was 3yrs, and that dr never mentioned it either. It was never mentioned to even take him to a GI dr. Just like the others get another opinion, it wouldn't hurt.

Somthing just does not sound right to me. Obviously something is a wee bit off to you as well, trust your instincts. I have a friend who has an underweight child, and she is doing fine, met milestones, happy normal, just tiny and skinny. I would get a second opinion before doing anything like that!
Good luck!

If the docs think he isn't getting enough nutrition, have they done a blood test to screen for celiac sprue before considering a feeding tube?

I think, if it were me, I'd take him to Children's Hospital and see what they think (or Mott if you're closer to Ann Arbor). They see everything there and I'd go with what they say. You son't want to make a mistake on something like this. Good luck!

I have been throught it with our grandson that has cystic fibrosis and it was very scarybut we found out it wasnt as bad as it seems but he is gaining weight. and just listen to the doctors and really pay attention to what they say.but always remember the guy upstairs is always with you. if you need to talk my number is ###-###-####. and ask for missy

You said your son has not been on the normal growth chart since 4 months, I was curious as to what percent he is. My daughter is 5.5 and is in the 5th % for weight(34lbs.) and 10% for height(41inches). They say they are not worried, because like your son she looks healthy and is active. So I was just wondering if your son was lower than this. Because to me a feeding tube sounds extreme, and I would definately get a second opinion.

Don't do it!!! We are not all meant to be 6' tall and the picture of perfection. If your son is healthy - leave well enough alone.

As he is small however, I would ask for some blood tests to check his pituitary function. A slow pit gland can slow growth as it doesn't produce enough growth hormone.

Again, "...if it ain't broke...don't fix it".

Sandi

I would get a second opinion from another GI doctor before placing a feeding tube. Not sure who you are seeing right now, but my daugther saw Dr. Truding at Beaumont in Royal Oak. He was fantastic, bedside manner is a little cut and dry but he worked with me and gave me options. He is a little hard to get into see but try explaining your situation to the person making the appointments. Good Luck.

Hi C.---I, too, would get a second, maybe even a third opinion before resorting to such drastic measures.

I would definitely look at taking him to a pediatrician who specializes in Integrative Medicine. This doctor will do some tests to make sure he is assimilating nutrients correctly.

I would also be careful with feeding him high calorie, high fat meals just to get him to gain weight. These foods are not very healthy in the long term. Having said that, you may need to give him those foods temporarily. There are ways to feed him higher calorie foods without compromising his nutrition. I might be able to help with some meal planning suggestions, mostly on how to make sure you are getting foods that are nutrient dense. I would also like to share some information about an extremely nutritious meal replacement protein powder to use as a supplement. You can make all kinds of great smoothies with it, using fruits and even veggies! I know of a young child who was diagnosed with health problems and failing to 'thrive'. They couldn't get this little boy to gain weight, even with Pediasure, which is mostly sugar water. That's why they use it for weight gain. Not very nutritious. But when they switched him over to Juice Plus+ Complete, he started gaining weight immediately.

I am currently taking a series of classes to be a Wellness Educator. The classes are offered by a Naturopath who has her PhD in Nutrition. I would be happy to share what I am learning with you, and you can decide if these ideas would work for you and your family.

Feel free to call me at any time. Good luck, D.
###-###-#### www.dianeshealthed.com