Impact of enteral formula composition on gastrointestinal symptoms and nutritional status in pediatric patients with neurological disabilities

Background This study aimed to compare the impact of two enteral formulas with different nutritional compositions on nutritional status and gastrointestinal symptoms related to feeding intolerance in pediatric patients with chronic neurological disorders. Methods Thirty-four children with severe neurological disabilities under the age of 14 who had experienced percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement were enrolled. Following six months of enteral feeding, we analyzed the nutritional outcomes and gastrointestinal symptoms of two groups: one received a casein polymeric formula, and the other was administered completely whey peptides. Results The percentage of weight gain was substantially higher with the whey-peptide protein than with the casein polymeric formula ( p = 0.031). Additionally, compared to patients who received the casein polymeric formula, those who received the whey-peptide formula demonstrated a significantly higher percentage of improvement in their ability to swallow ( p = 0.037). Conclusion These data suggest that enteral formula composition may influence nutritional and feeding-related outcomes in children with neurological disabilities receiving long-term gastrostomy feeding. However, because of the observational design and small sample size, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating. Further larger studies are required to confirm these associations.