Olivia's Due Date

Today Olivia is officially a newborn! I was able to snap a picture while her feeding tube was out today. Unfortunately we had to stop her feeds again. At my frustration point today I asked the surgeons where we are headed. It seems as though we are stuck in this cycle of starting and stopping feeds because she is unable to tolerate the volume of feeding we reach. They were clear today that although this is frustrating it's just the process of adaptation that her bowels have to make after surgery. Every time they start feedings she is able to tolerate more and more before they have to completing stop the food and let her bowels rest. So it appears this will be the routine for awhile. It took us 6 weeks for her to tolerate 1 oz. of formula so we're in for a long road. Surgeons told me it could take anywhere from 2 months to 2 years but they are happy with the progress she has made so she must be doing well. They did start her back on a new formula this evening called Elecare for infants with short bowel syndrome. At this point the CF is easier to handle than the aftermath of the bowel surgery. I'm glad I got some answers today and while I felt that Olivia keeps sliding backward I was reassured that this is just the process and she's actually doing quite well.

More info on Elecare and Olivia's condition of short bowel syndrome: http://elecare.com/

Short bowel syndrome 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.

SBS 101

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. 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® Can Help

EleCare is designed for both tube and oral feeding. EleCare provides 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 may be useful in the management of SBS. Learn more about how EleCare helps >