PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Amar M Wahid
AU  - Colin V Powell
AU  - Ieuan H Davies
AU  - Jennifer A Evans
AU  - Huw R Jenkins
TI  - Intestinal failure in children and young people with neurodisabling conditions
AID  - 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311387
DP  - 2017 May 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood
PG  - 475--476
VI  - 102
IP  - 5
4099  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/102/5/475.short
4100  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/102/5/475.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child2017 May 01; 102
AB  - Gastrointestinal dysmotility is common in children and young people with neurodisabling conditions. In this article we seek to highlight the increasing difficulties faced by paediatricians in managing intestinal failure in this patient group. It is becoming clear that, as the median age for survival increases, intestinal failure is a significant problem, and can in some cases become life-limiting. The ethical issues around starting children with life-limiting conditions on parenteral nutrition (PN) are extremely complicated, not least because we are ignorant of the mechanism of intestinal failure in these children, and indeed, which of these children might be able to return to enteral feeding after a period of PN. Our article highlights these issues, drawing on our experience of a particularly difficult case, which we hope will stimulate further discussion among paediatricians providing care for children with neurodisabling conditions.