A multi-disciplinary group of healthcare professionals has developed a practical guide to aid the early identification and management of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in children who require oral nutritional supplements.
GI symptoms are common in childhood and can have a significant physical and emotional impact on children,1 as well as causing worry and anxiety for their families.2 Data has shown that 7.3% of children requiring oral nutritional supplements (ONS) experience a GI symptom in the two weeks prior to receiving a prescription for ONS,3 which may then impact on the success of the nutritional intervention.
The consensus guide ‘A practical guide to identifying and managing GI symptoms in children who require oral nutritional supplements’, supported by Abbott, has been developed by a multi-disciplinary group with a specialist interest in paediatric gastrointestinal issues. It has been designed to support members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) identify, assess and manage GI symptoms in children. It brings all the information together in a concise format that is easy to use on a day-to-day basis, including recommendations for screening, assessment and monitoring procedures.
Click here to download the guide (PDF, 136KB).
The group members were Dr Susan Hill, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London; Jenny Livingstone, Specialist Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Dietitian, The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh; Elizabeth Loring, Community Paediatric Dietitian, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; Dr Nick Mann, Consultant Paediatrician, The Berkshire Independent Hospital, Reading; Sara Patience, Registered Health Visitor and Registered Nutritionist, Surrey; Rita Shergill-Bonner, Principal Dietitian, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London; and Dr Richard Stevens, GP, Oxford and Committee Member Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology.
