Framework for practice: Holistic feeding and nutritional management for the term/near term neonate following bowel surgery

The national neonatal surgical interest group (NNSIG) have collaborated with the wider MDT to produce this excellent, co-produced framework for practice. It is titled : ‘Holistic feeding and nutritional management for the term/near term neonate following bowel surgery’.

This was a national collaboration across surgical centres in the UK and NI. It was chaired by Fiona Metcalfe NNSIG chairperson, that included the specialist input from 50 members of the MDT- neonatal nurses, neonatal surgical nurse specialists, surgeon, specialist neonatologist, specialist dieticians (NDiG), SLTs (SLT Neonatal CEN), specialist nutrition and PN pharmacists (NPPG), Infant feeding advisors, BFI lead, parents, colorectal nurses, ANNPs.

There was an expert core team that pulled the work together to produce this  document. Thanks to the Neonatal nurses association (NNA) for supporting with the design and publication of the document. The document is hosted on the NNSIG page of NNA website. National Neonatal Surgical Interest Group – Neonatal Nurses Association (NNA)

There is key information and recommendation that all clinicians, involved in the care of the surgical neonate, can follow or be guided by. It can be adapted to add to local guidelines. It is evidenced based from the expert stakeholder groups, incorporating information on e.g feed choices, parental recommendation for nutritional care, promotion of access to breast milk, oral feeding strategies, nutrition monitoring, medicine management. This will also be helpful for surgical babies repatriated to local hospitals.

The document is endorsed by NNA, BAPM and now BAPS.