Gold Standard Home Nasogastric Tube Feeding for Infants and Children

SUCCEED Child Feeding Alliance¹; Lina Breik², Ethan Chaffey³, Katherine Chan⁴, Jayde Coy⁵, Naomi Crockett⁶, Francesca Crowe⁷, Ann Dadich⁸, Jacqueline Dalby-Payne^{9

10}, Bonnie Dorise¹¹, Kay Downie⁵, Chris Elliot⁶, Vita Fletcher¹², Krystal Furey¹³, Melissa Glaysher¹⁴, Jessica Gowans¹², Katelyn Guinea¹⁵, Siobhan Handley¹⁶, Tania Hillman¹⁷, Melissa Homan¹², Anna Ierardo¹², Emily J Lively¹⁸, Rachel Low¹⁹, Khadeejah Moraby²⁰, Suzanne Morony²¹, Chee Y Ooi^{22

23}, Noémi Scheuring²⁴, Meg Simione^{25

26}, Susan Woolfenden^{27

28}, Simone Wright²⁹, Nick Hopwood^{30

31}

Affiliations

¹ SUCCEED, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
³ Teaching, Learning and Student Wellbeing Division, NSW Department of Education, Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ Supersaurus, Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia.
⁵ Clinician, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ St. George Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁷ South West Kids Clinic, Prestons, New South Wales, Australia.
⁸ School of Business, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁹ Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹¹ The Children's Dietician, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
¹² Patient Representative, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹³ Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁴ Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
¹⁵ Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁶ John Hunter Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁷ Nourish & Thrive, Gledswood Hills, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁸ Lively Eaters Feeding Therapy, Kensington, South Australia, Australia.
¹⁹ Well Fed Nursing Support, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²⁰ Women's and Children's Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
²¹ Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²² Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW, School of Clinical Medicine, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²³ Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²⁴ Early Childhood Eating and Sleeping Disorders Clinic in Heim Pál National Pediatric Institute, Budapest, Hungary.
²⁵ Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
²⁶ Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
²⁷ Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine & Health, Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²⁸ Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²⁹ NSW Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³⁰ School of International Studies & Education, UTS, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³¹ Department of Curriculum Studies, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

PMID: 40269492
PMCID: PMC12211551
DOI: 10.1111/jpc.70052

Review

Gold Standard Home Nasogastric Tube Feeding for Infants and Children

SUCCEED Child Feeding Alliance et al. J Paediatr Child Health. 2025 Jul.

. 2025 Jul;61(7):1006-1013.

doi: 10.1111/jpc.70052. Epub 2025 Apr 23.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ SUCCEED, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
³ Teaching, Learning and Student Wellbeing Division, NSW Department of Education, Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ Supersaurus, Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia.
⁵ Clinician, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ St. George Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁷ South West Kids Clinic, Prestons, New South Wales, Australia.
⁸ School of Business, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁹ Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹¹ The Children's Dietician, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
¹² Patient Representative, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹³ Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁴ Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
¹⁵ Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁶ John Hunter Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁷ Nourish & Thrive, Gledswood Hills, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁸ Lively Eaters Feeding Therapy, Kensington, South Australia, Australia.
¹⁹ Well Fed Nursing Support, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²⁰ Women's and Children's Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
²¹ Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²² Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW, School of Clinical Medicine, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²³ Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²⁴ Early Childhood Eating and Sleeping Disorders Clinic in Heim Pál National Pediatric Institute, Budapest, Hungary.
²⁵ Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
²⁶ Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
²⁷ Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine & Health, Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²⁸ Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²⁹ NSW Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³⁰ School of International Studies & Education, UTS, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³¹ Department of Curriculum Studies, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

PMID: 40269492
PMCID: PMC12211551
DOI: 10.1111/jpc.70052

Abstract

Paediatric home enteral nutrition (HEN) is becoming more common. Existing research and guidelines point to the importance of carer education. However, ongoing HEN care in the community is not well covered, and many of those caring for children with feeding tubes have insufficient training, contributing to safety incidents in paediatric HEN. This article presents a novel gold standard for home nasogastric tube feeding for infants and children. It is developed through interviews with clinicians (n = 13) and parents (n = 4), and revised in consultation with a wider group of clinicians (n = 22), parents (n = 4), researchers (n = 2) and other professionals involved in supporting families with children who tube feed (n = 2). The gold standard reflects the authors' consensus recommendations. Alignment of its features with peer-reviewed research is highlighted. The gold standard considers NG tube feeding at home as a mealtime (rather than medical procedure) that is safe, responsive to the child's cues, and family friendly. Where weaning is expected, it also prepares the child for this.

Keywords: feeding difficulties; home enteral nutrition; paediatric feeding disorder; tube feeding.

© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

**FIGURE 1**
Gold standard development phases.

**FIGURE 2**
Key features of the gold standard.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. Goday P. S., Huh S. Y., Silverman A., et al., “Pediatric Feeding Disorder – Consensus Definition and Conceptual Framework,” Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 68, no. 1 (2019): 124–129, 10.1097/MPG.0000000000002188. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Okada J., Wilson E., Wong J., Luo M., Fiechtner L., and Simione M., “Financial Impacts and Community Resources Utilization of Children With Feeding Difficulties,” BMC Pediatrics 22, no. 1 (2022): 508, 10.1186/s12887-022-03566-x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Simione M., Dartley A. N., Cooper‐Vince C., et al., “Family‐Centered Outcomes That Matter Most to Parents: A Pediatric Feeding Disorders Qualitative Study,” Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 71, no. 2 (2020): 270–275, 10.1097/MPG.0000000000002741. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Simione M., Harshman S., Cooper‐Vince C. E., et al., “Examining Health Conditions, Impairments, and Quality of Life for Pediatric Feeding Disorders,” Dysphagia 38, no. 1 (2023): 220–226, 10.1007/s00455-022-10455-z. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation , “Conditions That Can Require Tube Feeding in Children,” 2016, https://www.feedingtubeawareness.org/condition‐list/.

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Gold Standard Home Nasogastric Tube Feeding for Infants and Children

Affiliations

Gold Standard Home Nasogastric Tube Feeding for Infants and Children

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical