ABSTRACT
In children with intestinal failure (IF), optimal postoperative and long-term nutritional management is essential to optimize the function of the gut toward the acquisition of intestinal autonomy in the —rst year of life, and to ensure normal growth [1-3]. In children with short bowel syndrome (SBS), oral and more generally enteral nutrition have been shown to contribute to gut development and adaptation [4,5]. After weaning from parenteral nutrition (PN), enteral and, if possible, oral feeding should allow the child normal growth. Hyperphagia is often seen as part of the adaptative compensatory features in adult patients with SBS [6] but data on this topic in children are scarce. Normal or hyperphagic feeding behavior in children can be threatened or delayed by the accumulation of endogenous and exogenous events that contribute to early and profound oral aversion. Despite the constraints related to the disease and its treatments, some errors may be avoided, some simple preventive measures can be taken early, if all professionals involved in infant and children’s care are convinced that prevention of oral aversion is both feasible and critical for optimal outcomes.
