Hull i magen / Engelsk

Eating is one of the most natural things we do. Many people don’t realise that not all children can eat enough food to fill their tummies at mealtimes. Some children struggle to eat, maybe because they were really sick when they were little, or because they have an illness that makes it difficult to eat. Or there might be a completely different reason. We recommend a gastric feeding tube (a hole in the tummy) for children who have eating problems for more than a month or two. This is also known as a gastrostomy, or a stoma. Anybody who has a G-tube on their tummy can eat whatever they like, but this G-tube helps to ensure the body gets all the food it needs if the child is unable to eat everything him or herself. Having a hole in your tummy and a feeding tube might sound scary. It’s important to know that this is a tiny hole that’s just big enough for the feeding tube to pass through. The tube can be removed when it’s no longer needed. This leaves a teeny tiny scar.

This book is designed to show that children with gastric feeding tubes can live completely normal lives. The book illustrates beautifully how children with feeding tubes can participate in mealtimes and eat whatever food they can manage, as well as receiving nutrients via the tube. This is how life is for most people with gastric feeding tubes.