Flavored formula for feeding tubes

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Specializes in Pedi.

Wondering others' opinions on this.

4 year old, FTT, s/p new G-tube. Child had previously been on oral Pediasure. Now will be getting Pediasure feeds via GT. They wrote specifically for chocolate Pediasure, which neither the hospital or my company (home care) carry. When I told the Dad that we would send vanilla until we could order the chocolate, he exclaimed "the vanilla make him sick!"

I don't see how this can be. I feel like the likely story is that the kid didn't like the vanilla flavor when he was taking it orally. The ingredients are identical, except that the chocolate has cocoa powder in it.

I'm such a magnet for crazy people.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, educator.

Oh geez. Tell them to buy their own until you can get it. I know our floors don't use flavored for g-tube feeds. And ask dad to define sick lol

I feel for you, have had my share of nutsy things this week.

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I've wondered this also. We had a veggie flavor that would make my 3 yo pt sick(vomits) Had to be switched to vanilla flavor. Pt on gtube and is tolerating vanilla flavor well.

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

They just don't realize that they can't taste it. It's literally bypassing the taste part! I've had the same argument. I have had the argument... "You can't give him the UNFLAVORED! Gross!". Lady, where it's going it has no flavor anyway! LOL!

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
I've wondered this also. We had a veggie flavor that would make my 3 yo pt sick(vomits) Had to be switched to vanilla flavor. Pt on gtube and is tolerating vanilla flavor well.

a VEGGIE flavor???

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a VEGGIE flavor???

Yes! It looked disgusting. Poor babies who have to drink that. It was a green brown color too. Gag.

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.
Yes! It looked disgusting. Poor babies who have to drink that. It was a green brown color too. Gag.

We have one that is "Butter Pecan", and the smell and color of it just makes me want to hurl everywhere.

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Client families and I have often discussed flavored vs. vanilla because we all think that vanilla is nasty. Spill the flavored varieties and don't do a good cleanup and they can be just as nasty.

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Specializes in Pedi.
I've wondered this also. We had a veggie flavor that would make my 3 yo pt sick(vomits) Had to be switched to vanilla flavor. Pt on gtube and is tolerating vanilla flavor well.

I have never heard of a veggie flavored formula. HOWEVER, if anything, I could see that a formula with added flavor could make a patient sick vs the base formula with no added flavor.

In the case I'm talking about, the only difference between the vanilla or chocolate is cocoa powder. If something in the formula itself was making the kid sick, the addition of cocoa powder wouldn't take that away. And the G-tube was just placed, the father wouldn't let anyone even TRY to give the kid vanilla through the tube. He's totally basing his assumption that the vanilla would make him "sick" on the kid not liking the vanilla formula PO. He did not get it at all when I explained that the formula would be going directly into the kid's stomach therefore there would be no vanilla taste for the kid.

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

Maybe it's the burps he's worried about. LOL!!!

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Specializes in Hospice.
Maybe it's the burps he's worried about. LOL!!!

From what people have told me about formula burps, they all pretty much taste like ass lol.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
We have one that is "Butter Pecan", and the smell and color of it just makes me want to hurl everywhere.

are these pediasure flavors? all ive ever seen is chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. and unflavored.

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