Exploring parental thoughts and clinical experiences on blended food in a paediatric population, a qualitative study

Abstract

Background: There’s a growing interest in blended food (BF) as an alternative to commercial food (CF) for tube-fed children. Thus, we investigated parental and medical experiences with BF as an option for tube feeding in children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all patients were already using BF, chosen by parents. In March 2022, all patients using BF provided consent and completed a questionnaire assessing their experiences. Medical data were collected retrospectively from patient charts, including biometric changes, dietary adjustments, and nutritional status. A non-validated parent satisfaction score was computed from 17 questions, rated on a scale from one to five. A score of ≥ 51 points, indicating an average score of > 3 per question, was deemed indicative of a positive parental experience with BF. Results: Nine children receiving BF were identified (median age: 4.7 years; weight: 14.9 kg; 66% male). All parents were satisfied with BF, reflected in the parent satisfaction score. Parents cited reduced feeding-related discomforts as the main reason for switching to BF. Weight (+0.3 SD) and length (+0.5 SD) showed positive changes. None discontinued BF, though modifications were made for five patients by the dietician. Nutritional deficiencies, mainly iron with or without zinc deficiency, were observed in four patients, with uncertain onset due to lack of pre-BF laboratory testing. Conclusions: In this small BF cohort overseen by an experienced multidisciplinary team, BF was well tolerated, resulting in high parental satisfaction and maintaining good nutritional status.