Short Bowel Syndrome in Children
Did You Know?
Intestinal adaptation can take up to two years to occur after removal of a portion of the small intestine.1
Ordinarily, digested food, water, and nutrients are absorbed into the walls of the small intestine and then carried by the bloodstream to other parts of the body.
What Is SBS?
Short bowel syndrome (SBS) describes a group of problems affecting individuals who have lost the use of a major part of their small intestine. This syndrome often occurs after bowel resection surgery in which a portion of the intestine is removed. After bowel surgery, patients — especially infants — often have difficulty absorbing all of the nutrients they need.
Common SBS Symptoms
Chronic diarrhea, which can result in:
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Failure to thrive
Immediately after bowel surgery, most patients must be fed parenterally. However, it is important to get the bowel working properly again by shifting as quickly as possible to tube feeding directly into the small intestine.
Enteral feeding encourages a process called intestinal adaptation,in which the bowel begins to grow larger and is able to absorb more nutrients. This bowel growth is essential to your child's long-term ability to absorb nutrients from food. For many, it is an important first step to oral feeding.
How EleCare® and EleCare® Jr Can Help
EleCare and EleCare Jr are designed for both tube and oral feeding. They have protein in the form of free amino acids (the building blocks of protein), which are already broken down and are easily absorbed. Amino acid-based formulas such as EleCare and EleCare Jr may be useful in the dietary management of SBS.
Learn More About How EleCare and EleCare Jr Help
For more information about SBS, check out:
EleCare and EleCare Jr can also help with the dietary management of:
1US Department of Health and Human Services; National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse website. Short Bowel Syndrome. NIH Publication No. 09-4631. February 2009. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/shortbowel/ShortBowelSyndrome.pdf. Accessed July 26, 2011.
