Feedings start once the CTICU team decides your baby is stable. This may be before or after surgery. Before your baby can feed completely, he or she will get nutrition through the IV. This IV nutrition is called total parenteral nutrition (TPN). When your child is able to take breast milk, or formula feedings, a small amount will be given first and then will be increased very slowly. These are done with either a bottle or feeding tube. Babies who have a heart defect may tire easily while feeding, or have trouble with sucking and swallowing. A temporary feeding tube may be placed into your baby’s nose (nasogastric, NG) or mouth (orogastric, OG) down into your baby’s stomach. An occupational therapist (OT) will start seeing your baby shortly after birth and to work on feeding and oral skills. Babies with congenital heart disease, especially single ventricle conditions, may have trouble gaining weight. These babies often need extra calories to grow. This means you may need to mix extra calories into your breast milk or change the formula so your baby can get more calories. The dietitian will teach you how to make your baby’s formula or breast milk before leaving the hospital. At first, your baby is expected to gain between 20 to 30 grams per day once they reach their goal feedings. Your dietitian will watch this and change the feeding plan and calories as needed. Feeding Problems It is a common problem for single ventricle infants to struggle with feeds (feeding intolerance). Milk protein allergies can be one cause of feeding intolerance. This is usually fixed by changing formula or, if the mother is breastfeeding, having her stop eating and drinking milk products. Symptoms may include fussiness, increased stomach (abdomen) size, vomiting, poor weight gain, blood in the stool, or loose, runny stool. Gastrostomy tube (G-tube/feeding tube) If your child cannot safely or consistently eat enough by mouth in order to grow, a surgical g-tube may be recommended. A g-tube is a thin, flexible feeding tube that goes through the skin and into the stomach. Liquids, like milk and medicines, go right into your child’s stomach through this tube. The g-tube can be easily removed once it is no longer needed.
Feedings start once the CTICU team decides your baby is stable. This may be before or after surgery. Before your baby can feed completely, he or she will get nutrition through the IV. This IV nutrition is called total parenteral nutrition (TPN). When your child is able to take breast milk, or formula feedings, a small amount will be given first and then will be increased very slowly. These are done with either a bottle or feeding tube. Babies who have a heart defect may tire easily while feeding, or have trouble with sucking and swallowing. A temporary feeding tube may be placed into your baby’s nose (nasogastric, NG) or mouth (orogastric, OG) down into your baby’s stomach. An occupational therapist (OT) will start seeing your baby shortly after birth and to work on feeding and oral skills. Babies with congenital heart disease, especially single ventricle conditions, may have trouble gaining weight. These babies often need extra calories to grow. This means you may need to mix extra calories into your breast milk or change the formula so your baby can get more calories. The dietitian will teach you how to make your baby’s formula or breast milk before leaving the hospital. At first, your baby is expected to gain between 20 to 30 grams per day once they reach their goal feedings. Your dietitian will watch this and change the feeding plan and calories as needed. Feeding Problems It is a common problem for single ventricle infants to struggle with feeds (feeding intolerance). Milk protein allergies can be one cause of feeding intolerance. This is usually fixed by changing formula or, if the mother is breastfeeding, having her stop eating and drinking milk products. Symptoms may include fussiness, increased stomach (abdomen) size, vomiting, poor weight gain, blood in the stool, or loose, runny stool. Gastrostomy tube (G-tube/feeding tube) If your child cannot safely or consistently eat enough by mouth in order to grow, a surgical g-tube may be recommended. A g-tube is a thin, flexible feeding tube that goes through the skin and into the stomach. Liquids, like milk and medicines, go right into your child’s stomach through this tube. The g-tube can be easily removed once it is no longer needed.
Feedings start once the CTICU team decides your baby is stable. This may be before or after surgery. Before your baby can feed completely, he or she will get nutrition through the IV. This IV nutrition is called total parenteral nutrition (TPN). When your child is able to take breast milk, or formula feedings, a small amount will be given first and then will be increased very slowly. These are done with either a bottle or feeding tube. Babies who have a heart defect may tire easily while feeding, or have trouble with sucking and swallowing. A temporary feeding tube may be placed into your baby’s nose (nasogastric, NG) or mouth (orogastric, OG) down into your baby’s stomach. An occupational therapist (OT) will start seeing your baby shortly after birth and to work on feeding and oral skills. Babies with congenital heart disease, especially single ventricle conditions, may have trouble gaining weight. These babies often need extra calories to grow. This means you may need to mix extra calories into your breast milk or change the formula so your baby can get more calories. The dietitian will teach you how to make your baby’s formula or breast milk before leaving the hospital. At first, your baby is expected to gain between 20 to 30 grams per day once they reach their goal feedings. Your dietitian will watch this and change the feeding plan and calories as needed. Feeding Problems It is a common problem for single ventricle infants to struggle with feeds (feeding intolerance). Milk protein allergies can be one cause of feeding intolerance. This is usually fixed by changing formula or, if the mother is breastfeeding, having her stop eating and drinking milk products. Symptoms may include fussiness, increased stomach (abdomen) size, vomiting, poor weight gain, blood in the stool, or loose, runny stool. Gastrostomy tube (G-tube/feeding tube) If your child cannot safely or consistently eat enough by mouth in order to grow, a surgical g-tube may be recommended. A g-tube is a thin, flexible feeding tube that goes through the skin and into the stomach. Liquids, like milk and medicines, go right into your child’s stomach through this tube. The g-tube can be easily removed once it is no longer needed.
Feedings start once the CTICU team decides your baby is stable. This may be before or after surgery. Before your baby can feed completely, he or she will get nutrition through the IV. This IV nutrition is called total parenteral nutrition (TPN). When your child is able to take breast milk, or formula feedings, a small amount will be given first and then will be increased very slowly. These are done with either a bottle or feeding tube. Babies who have a heart defect may tire easily while feeding, or have trouble with sucking and swallowing. A temporary feeding tube may be placed into your baby’s nose (nasogastric, NG) or mouth (orogastric, OG) down into your baby’s stomach. An occupational therapist (OT) will start seeing your baby shortly after birth and to work on feeding and oral skills.
Babies with congenital heart disease, especially single ventricle conditions, may have trouble gaining weight. These babies often need extra calories to grow. This means you may need to mix extra calories into your breast milk or change the formula so your baby can get more calories. The dietitian will teach you how to make your baby’s formula or breast milk before leaving the hospital.
At first, your baby is expected to gain between 20 to 30 grams per day once they reach their goal feedings. Your dietitian will watch this and change the feeding plan and calories as needed.
Feeding Problems
It is a common problem for single ventricle infants to struggle with feeds (feeding intolerance). Milk protein allergies can be one cause of feeding intolerance. This is usually fixed by changing formula or, if the mother is breastfeeding, having her stop eating and drinking milk products. Symptoms may include fussiness, increased stomach (abdomen) size, vomiting, poor weight gain, blood in the stool, or loose, runny stool.
Gastrostomy tube (G-tube/feeding tube)
If your child cannot safely or consistently eat enough by mouth in order to grow, a surgical g-tube may be recommended. A g-tube is a thin, flexible feeding tube that goes through the skin and into the stomach. Liquids, like milk and medicines, go right into your child’s stomach through this tube. The g-tube can be easily removed once it is no longer needed.
