Flavored formula for feeding tubes

[KelRN215]

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.

[Momof8CNA]

not a nurse, but my son has a mickey button, and we always get flavored..because that is the ONLY thing he drinks out of a bottle, and we are lucky he will drink that! they might just not want to say otherwise, because there are a lot of stupid insurance rules about if a child can drink/eat anything by mouth, formula is automatically not covered. its pretty common.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

not a nurse, but my son has a mickey button, and we always get flavored..because that is the ONLY thing he drinks out of a bottle, and we are lucky he will drink that! they might just not want to say otherwise, because there are a lot of stupid insurance rules about if a child can drink/eat anything by mouth, formula is automatically not covered. its pretty common.

That makes sense from a home standpoint, but it shouldn't matter in an inpatient setting what feed we run into a belly. No taste buds there!

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

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

Its not a pediasure flavor... I wish I could remember the brand. Whatever it is, it is vile vile vile. The butter pecan one I know is a very high calorie formula, and if I was a guessing person - probably marketed to the old folks. LOL!

[Momof8CNA]

That makes sense from a home standpoint, but it shouldn't matter in an inpatient setting what feed we run into a belly. No taste buds there!

true. they might just want to feel more "normal". i did the same thing at first, and now im like..whatever.

[mercurysmom]

I think that's a part of it, retaining some level of normalcy, even if it's the child's "new normal." I've worked with families who offered their children strawberry or chocolate Pediasure, knowing that they'd take 5ml PO and end up tubing the other 235ml. Still, I've had older kids tell me that they can "taste" the formula, even if it's 100% via G or J tube. In that case, I have a feeling that the strong artificial chocolate/vanilla/whatever smell has much more to do with it than an actual taste (unless they're burping or refluxing from a G feed.)

Compleat is a commercial formula that's made with blender iced veggies, protein, carbs, etc...and looks and smells absolutely vile. Many families use a Vitamix blender and create their own blenderized enteral feeds. If you google it you'll find lots of interesting sites.

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

Its not a pediasure flavor... I wish I could remember the brand. Whatever it is, it is vile vile vile. The butter pecan one I know is a very high calorie formula, and if I was a guessing person - probably marketed to the old folks. LOL!

Ensure? I've seen it in the nursing home I worked at, haha

[annabanana2]

Ensure? I've seen it in the nursing home I worked at, haha

Ensure comes in butter pecan flavour. I had a palliative gentleman who looooooved to mix it with his coffee.

I've also seen the "veggie" flavour formula that mercurysmom mentioned (Compleat) when I was in school and doing a rotation in a pediatric rehab facility (lots of brain/spinal cord injury, post-surgical rehab, etc). The parents liked it because it was made from "real food" but man, it looks and smells absolutely disgusting. I had a kid once that was tube-fed a bunch of Compleat and then vomited, and let me tell you I had to really hold myself back from vomiting right along with her.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

You know, I did once have a little kiddo that was NPO - but she would inhale the cans while her tube feeds ran.