A better future for children with intestinal failure

The Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital cares for children with intestinal failure. Intestinal failure means that these children are not able to absorb sufficient nutrients and fluids via their gastrointestinal tract. This causes issues such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting, which may lead to a deficiency in various nutrients, as well as growth problems. It is important that these nutrients are administered directly into the blood via a central venous lineIV. This IV food is called parenteral nutrition and contains the nutrients the child needs. Lifelong IV has considerable impact on a child’s day-to-day life. They can’t just play sports or be active, and even more importantly, they can’t just eat. It is not possible for these children to enjoy food together with friends during break times and at parties.

In the past, the focus was on surviving, but it is now important that these children can develop and lead a life with parenteral nutrition that is as normal as possible. However, parenteral nutrition is successful for some children, less so for others; it is trial and error, which brings its own challenges. The intestinal failure team at the Sophia Children’s Hospital wants to get to the bottom of this. By carrying out in-depth research into characteristics of blood, urine and stool that indicate whether the intestine can tolerate the nutrition and at which doses. That’s what we are getting active for! So that children with intestinal failure can be treated on a case-by-case basis in future. And be given the best chances to develop and lead a normal life.

Isn’t that what they deserve?