ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
This article is part of the Research TopicClinical Nutrition in Newborns and Children with DisabilitiesView all 6 articles
Investigation of Feeding and Nutritional Problems Related to Long-Term Enteral Nutrition Support among Children with Disabilities: A Pilot Study
Provisionally accepted
Sara Zaher*
Hadeel Abdulla AldhowayanAsmaa Almalki BscRiman Alsaedi BscRuba Almghamsi BscLujain Aljazaeri Bsc
Walaa Abdullah Mumena- Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia
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Background: Enteral Nutrition (EN) is considered a standard intervention for patients with disabilities who cannot meet their nutritional requirements orally and are at risk for malnutrition secondary to eating difficulties. The current study examined common feeding and nutritional problems related to prolonged EN among disabled children. Methods: A cross-sectional, pilot study was conducted in Saudi Arabia between December 2023 and March 2024. Caregivers of children with disabilities were invited to complete an online questionnaire that gathered demographic data and explored feeding difficulties and challenges related to enteral nutrition. Results: A total of forty-one caregivers completed the survey regarding their children. The median age (IQR) of disabled children was 3.2 (1.7-6.6) years. The most frequently reported feeding and nutritional problems in this cohort were constipation [median = 3.0, IQR: 2.0–4.0], weight loss [median = 3.0, IQR: 1.0–4.0], and gastroesophageal reflux [median = 2.0, IQR: 1.0–3.0].The regression analysis showed a statistical association between the indication for nutrition support and the subsequent detected feeding/nutritional problem, p-value< 0.05. It also showed that the primary diagnosis (r=0.459, p-value=0.003) and health status (r=0.458, p-value=0.003) were statistically significant predictors of the frequency of reported feeding and nutritional problems among this children group. Additionally, the challenges experienced by the caregivers were statistically related to the type of EN provided (r=0.491, p-value=0.001). Conclusion: The study provided insight into the typical feeding and nutritional problems associated with long-term EN among children with disabilities. Identifying these issues can support early diagnosis and the implementation of appropriate nutritional interventions, ultimately helping to optimize growth and improve quality of life for these children.
Keywords: Paediatrics, Disabled Children, Feeding Problems, Enteral Nutrition, nutrition support
Received: 24 Jul 2025; Accepted: 28 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zaher, Aldhowayan, Almalki Bsc, Alsaedi Bsc, Almghamsi Bsc, Aljazaeri Bsc and Mumena. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sara Zaher, sz332@cam.ac.uk
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