Treatments and Services
Is Your Child Ready to Tube Wean?
At Cincinnati Children’s, we aim to tube wean patients before or by their first birthday. We know that tube weaning becomes more difficult as a child gets older. But, even if your child is older than one, they still might be a candidate.
To find out if your child is ready to stop using a feeding tube, our team completes a detailed assessment. We measure your child’s:
Heart stability, including:
- No symptoms of heart failure
- Stable heart rhythm
Swallowing safety and readiness, such as:
- Able to swallow safely
- Established outpatient feeding therapy
- Parental communication on therapies and education
Nutritional adequacy and hydration, including:
- Stable growth
- Nutrition-focused physical exam
- Stable reflux and bowel regimen
- Good hydration status
We also communicate with your child’s other care team members, including their primary care doctor, cardiologist, and other clinicians and caregivers involved with feedings.
Your child may be a good candidate for a tube wean if they have:
- Approval from a cardiologist, dietitian and speech therapist and are medically stable
- Good head control
- Gross motor skills to physically feed themselves
- Safe swallow skills and oral readiness
