Optimising gastrointestinal outcomes in paediatric tube feeding

Managing GI symptoms with food-based enteral formulas

Emerging research highlights how food-based enteral formulas can support gastrointestinal tolerance in children^1-4. In this session, Dr Graeme O’Connor, a clinical academic in Paediatric Dietetics will discuss the current clinical evidence and explore how food-based enteral formulas are being used in real-world practice. He will also draw on the importance of fibre and prebiotics in supporting the gut microbiome, a key nutritional feature of many food-based enteral formulas.

Dr Graeme O’Connor is the research lead dietetics, and the clinical academic careers lead for Great Ormond Street Children’s hospital. He completed his BSc (Hons) in Physiology before commencing a postgraduate degree in Dietetics. He went on to specialise in Paediatric Dietetics and joined Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. In 2010 he started a PhD at University College London, investigating energy intake and the refeeding syndrome – the results of this study changed national and European guidelines. Dr O’Connor’s post-doctoral research includes monitoring gut inflammation in infants. Dr O’Connor also holds an honorary position at the Institute of Child Health University College London in the department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation.

Helping families choose an enteral feeding approach

In this session, Shannyn Thatcher will build on Graeme’s presentation on the latest evidence for food-based enteral feeding, unpacking what this means for everyday practice. Families now have more choice than ever in how they nourish their child through a feeding tube from commercial formulas to commercially blended products and home-prepared blends. Shannyn will explore how to support families in making decisions about their child’s enteral diet, guiding dietitians through both a clinical and practical lens. She will share tips for balancing these factors while keeping family priorities, values, and autonomy at the centre. The session will highlight how a child’s feeding approach can evolve over time, and how dietitians, can remain a steady, supportive presence through every stage of the journey to optimise tube-feeding outcomes, gastrointestinal comfort and quality of life.

Shannyn Thatcher is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, feeding therapist, and highly sought-after educator with specialised experience in disability nutrition and tube feeding. Founder of The RealEat, she supports children, teens, and adults with complex disability across Australia and New Zealand, working across the full spectrum of tube feeding from commercial enteral formulas to home-prepared blended tube feeding (BTF). Shannyn believes everyone deserves a voice in how they nourish their bodies and is passionate about building dietitians’ confidence to provide genuine choice and practical, evidence-informed advice.