NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF ENTEROPATHY

The prognosis for nutritional management of enteropathy in children is good when the enteropathy is reversible with the use of a food elimin ation diet, such as cow's-milk-sensitive enteropathy, but is poor when enteropathy is irreversible, such as microvillous atrophy. However, n utritional management is central to the care of all children with smal l intestinal enteropathy. Enteral nutrition (provision of liquid formu la diets by mouth or by tube) is possible in most cases, but in some c hildren with intractable diarrhea, parenteral nutrition needs to suppl ement enteral feeding. The choice of enteral feeding ranges from eleme ntal to partial hydrolysate. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1998.