Season 1

Once the decision has been made to start a child on a blended diet, it’s never the dietitian alone who is responsible for supporting this. The entire multi-disciplinary team needs to be aligned and working closely together to help support this patient. Harriet Farr talks us through the role of the MDT in supporting blended diets and how this is best structured, communicated and monitored. Information for Healthcare Professional Use Only

Information for Healthcare Professional Use onlyIn this episode of the Inside Medical Nutrition podcast, Dr. Linia Patel interviews Carol Baguley, a paediatric dietitian, about managing blended diets in a school setting. Carol shares her journey from South Africa to becoming a specialist in paediatric nutrition in the UK. Carol's current role involves providing optimal nutrition to children with neuro disabilities at a specialist school. She manages a caseload of around 80 children, many of whom are home enteral feeding (HEF) dependent, with a significant portion also consuming blended diets. The conversation highlights the practicalities of managing blended diets in schools, including food preparation, storage, and hygiene. Carol emphasises the importance of a blended diet policy, which is followed meticulously. Staff training is crucial, with school nurses playing a key role in educating carers and parents. The discussion touches on the importance of individualising blended diets and considering factors like texture and nutrient content. Carol also mentions the use of fortified foods and specialised plant-based alternatives creams to enhance nutritional value. Consideration is also given to the care of feeding tubes for those individuals receiving a blended diet. Carol encourages listeners to consult the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for further information. She concludes by emphasising the positive impact of blended diets on children's well-being and the importance of a collaborative approach to care. Carol discusses the impact of blended diets on children's quality of life, noting improvements in reflux, bowel habits, and social interaction. She shares a case study of a 17-year-old boy who transitioned to a 100% blended diet after numerous challenges with enteral feed intolerance, resulting in improved bowel habits, reduced vomiting, and better weight gain as well as an increase in social interactions. Looking to the future, Carol believes blended diets are gaining popularity and emphasises the need for more resources and training. She highlights the importance of shared decision-making, involving all stakeholders, including schools, in developing training and policies. Listen to the full episode to learn more about the practicalities of managing a blended diet. For more information about blended diets watch these webinars on the N+ hub.  

Information for healthcare professional use onlyIn this episode of the Inside Medical Nutrition Podcast, Dr. Linia Patel discusses the tolerance of blended diets with experts Lucy Jackman, a paediatric dietitian, and Dr. Graham O'Connor, a research lead for dietetics, both from Great Ormond Children's Hospital. The conversation begins with the experts sharing their backgrounds and their journey into dietetics. The discussion then shifts to the increasing use of blended diets, which are household foods blended into a liquid form for tube feeding. Parents are increasingly drawn to blended diets due to a desire for natural food and the feeling of fulfilling their role as caregivers. The experts address concerns about blended diets, including tube blockages, nutritional adequacy, and food hygiene. Research suggests that in practice, these concerns are not significantly different compared to commercial formulas. Key considerations for blended diets include using appropriate tube sizes, avoiding nasogastric (NG) tubes, ensuring proper consistency, and maintaining food safety standards. The podcast explores the role of food-derived ingredient formulas as a middle ground between blended diets and commercial formulas. The speakers share their experience of using these formulas and how they can be particularly useful in hospital settings where providing fresh blenderised food is challenging. They also offer a way to control electrolytes and provide fibre, which is beneficial for gut health, both of which is particularly important in intensive care patients. The experts emphasise the importance of individualised patient care and monitoring when using blended diets or formulas with food-derived ingredients. This includes assessing macronutrient and micronutrient intake, tracking growth parameters, and potentially monitoring nutritional blood levels.Looking to the future, the experts express optimism about the role of blended diets and formulas with food derived ingredients in dietetic care. They highlight the potential for these approaches to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Listen to the full episode to learn more about the tolerance of tube fed blended diets. For more information about blended diets watch these webinars on the N+ hub.

Information for healthcare professional use only In this episode of the Inside Medical Nutrition Podcast, Dr. Linia Patel interviews Catherine Fogarty, a paediatric dietitian, about managing a tube-fed blended diet caseload. Cath shares her journey from being a chef to a dietitian, highlighting her passion for food and nutrition. She currently manages a caseload of 100 tube-fed children, with approximately 15% on blended diets. Cath discusses the evolution of blended diet acceptance, noting the positive impact of the British Dietetic Association's policy statement in 2019. She emphasises the importance of a collaborative approach with parents, involving them in the decision-making process and providing education on food safety, preparation, and nutritional adequacy. She outlines the challenges of managing a blended diet caseload, particularly with children who have neurological impairments or food aversions. Cath emphasises the need for a holistic approach, considering factors beyond the feed itself, such as the gut-brain axis and the child's social environment. Cath shares strategies for managing her time, including prioritising urgent cases, utilising virtual consultations, and seeking support from colleagues and professional organisations like DISC (Dietitians Interested in Special Children). She stresses the importance of starting slowly with blended diets, treating it like weaning, and empowering parents to make informed choices. Cath highlights the need for more resources and guidance for dietitians managing blended diet caseloads, including safe caseload recommendations and recipe books tailored to specific needs. She encourages dietitians to embrace blended diets as a valuable tool for improving the nutrition and quality of life for tube-fed children, while always prioritising food safety and individual patient needs. Listen to the full episode to learn more about managing a caseload of patients using blended diets.  

Clare Thornton-Wood shares her experience of supporting children with blended diets and discusses why they are becoming more popular amongst parents and carers. Why are they preferred by some parents? How do they benefit the children and the family? And how can dietitians themselves ensure they are set up to support parents wishing to start a blended diet? Clare also talks through what the BDA has to say about blended diets with a look at their latest policy statement. Information for Healthcare Professional Use Only

Tune in and discover what’s in store in the first series of Inside Medical Nutrition, a podcast powered by Nestlé Health Science. Information for Healthcare Professional Use Only