Care and Nutrition in Esophageal Atresia: An ERNICA animation for parents and families

Esophageal atresia is a rare birth defect where a part of the esophagus, the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach, is missing. This animation shows you what care to expect for your baby with esophageal atresia in regards to swallowing, feeding and nutrition. All babies born with esophageal atresia should be treated at a specialist center with appropriate expertise and a dedicated multidisciplinary team. Because saliva, secretions and food cannot flow into the stomach, your baby is at risk of aspiration, which is fluid entering the lungs. A special tube, called a reloal tube is placed through the mouth or nose into the esophagus. Through this tube, all fluids are sucked out, preventing leakage into the airway and thus preventing aspiration. This relogal tube also enables you to give your baby pleasant oral experiences and develop swallowing skills. With this tube in place, you may be able to give your baby a small taste of breast milk before their esophagus is repaired using a pacifier or dummy. In rare circumstances, when the baby needs a delayed repair, sham feeding may be helpful. In sham feeding, a baby's feed is provided orally but sucked out by the reloal tube. At the same time, the baby receives its food directly into the stomach through a tube called a gastrostomy tube. This can help the baby associate oral feeding with milk entering the stomach. In an expert center, you can expect help from various members of the specialized team. It's important to know what these different members do and how they will help you through. A lactation consultant or support worker will support you to bond with your baby, discuss feeding options and support with breastfeeding. A specialized swallowing therapist can assess your baby's swallowing and feeding, and if necessary, offer ongoing specific therapy and advice. A nutrition therapist will ensure that your baby meets all their nutritional requirements to support optimal growth. For the first year after surgery, we recommend that an outpatient review, including a nutritional assessment, takes place every 3rd month. From then on, these assessments are recommended to occur every 2nd year until transition to adult care. Lifelong follow up is now recommended for those born with oesophageal atresia. Peer support can be accessed through patient and family support groups.