Daily care

So you can safely care for your child at home, the tube care team, nurses and doctors will teach you everything you need to know about your child’s G-tube.

When you have learned the care, you will be able to:
  • Protect the skin around the tube
  • Put on a dressing and secure the tube
  • Feed your child with or without the use of the tube
  • Give medicines through the tube
  • Troubleshoot problems
  • Decide when to contact your child’s doctor or nurse

This information may be hard to understand at first. Take your time; it will become easier with practice. Your child’s nurse will show you how to take care of the tube and will answer your questions. Before you go home, a discharge planning nurse will meet with you to help plan your child’s care and order supplies. A dietician will meet with you to go over your child’s feeding routine.

Your supplies will need to be ordered from a Durable Medical Equipment home care supplier (also called a DME company).

When your child is discharged from the hospital with a new tube, supplies will be ordered for you by the integrated case manager or discharge planner.
After the initial order, the parent/legal guardian is responsible for reordering supplies.

Taking care of a pezzer tube

Taking care of a button tube

Taking care of a PEG tube