Nasogastric (NG) and nasojejunal (NJ) tubes are both nasal tubes, but while NG tubes end in the stomach, NJ tubes end in the intestine. They are a temporary way of feeding your child.
A medical professional can teach you how to replace the tube at home.
"We found that taping my son's NG tube with strapping tape halved (width) was most secure and we taped it by looping it around the tube then up onto his nose once he was able to get it off his cheek so easily, this also rested the skin on his cheeks."
Find out more about tube feeding [1]
View photos of some of the tips and tricks [2]
Some of the hacks parents and tube-feeding children use to make life a bit easier
A gastrostomy tube goes directly into your child's stomach from the skin of your child's tummy. A doctor may put the tube in during an operation, or by a procedure called endoscopy.
Types of gastrostomy tubes include retention disk PEG, PEG-J, balloon gastrostomy or Mic-Key button.
You won’t always be able to avoid spills, but there are some things you can do to make cleaning them easier.
"As they get older use a second bed protector like Brolly sheet - they are FANTASTIC. It's an investment, but when a leak happens, you don't have to strip the entire bed."
Find out about the process of going from tube feeding to oral feeding [3]
Alexander enjoying another adventure. Carrying his continuous tube feeding equipment for a day out exploring the beautiful Rakaia Gorge Walkway with his whānau.
There are things you can do to help make it easier when you go out with your child.
"We make sure we do lots of kisses, blow raspberries and have tickles on the side of the face that has the tube. We find that it helps keeps the area normal, as that is what we do on the other side of the face too!"
"We photographed each stage of feeding to take as a guide for school, with notes on preparation and cleaning. We then laminated the two pages and added a string loop for hanging up."
"There are different formulas, alternatives to milk, even food blends. Get a dietitian involved."
"Whenever I fed her, I encouraged oral stimulation so her mouth was always busy. Ask your nurse what to use to avoid oral aversion."
"If you aren't sure, ask. And if you still aren't sure, keep asking."
"A little life hack for those trying to stay somewhat organised with all the tube gear. I find these stick to the wall cable holders great for hanging the tubes. I got mine from Bunnings."
"My son is only 2.5 years. Letting him be involved in learning to care for his tube has been a huge help and has also helped him to become more familiar with it. He loves flushing it with water and he has even nick named it, tubie!"
Other parents of tube-feeding children say it's important to remind yourself you're doing a great job in a very difficult situation and to "hang on in there" as it can be a really hard journey.
"Get out of the house and be kind to yourself. Tube feeding is one of the toughest things you'll ever do. But you've got this."
The content on this page is based on a consumer survey. Brand names mentioned are personal suggestions.
Sarah Vane, a mother of a tube-fed child and a consumer representative of the New Zealand Clinical Network for Paediatric Tube Feeding Clinical Reference Group, researched and wrote the report.
It was developed and approved by the Clinical Network for Paediatric Tube Feeding, Paediatric Society of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa.
This page last reviewed 22 March 2022.
Email us [10] your feedback
Links
[1] https://kidshealth.org.nz/tube-feeding
[2] https://kidshealth.org.nz/tube-feeding-photos-tips-tricks
[3] https://kidshealth.org.nz/moving-tube-feeding-oral-feeding
[4] https://kidshealth.org.nz/tags/tube-feeding
[5] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/2064?language=zh-hant
[6] https://web.facebook.com/groups/177124695794208/
[7] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/2065?language=zh-hant
[8] https://www.feedingtubeawareness.org/
[9] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/2659?language=zh-hant
[10] https://kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fkidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F2634%3Flanguage%3Dzh-hant