REAL FOODS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
REal Family food for children (3-11 years) who require Artificial Long-term tube-Feeding; an Observational Outpatient Dietetic Study
IRAS ID
347119
Contact name
Sarah Durnan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
In this study we aim to create a clear way for families to start using real foods for gastrostomy tube-feeding.
Company-made liquid nutrition is usually prescribed, but more families are choosing to home blend their own 'Real Foods'. Blending food can make positive changes to digestion and overall health but we do not currently understand why. Families prefer it because it is more natural and less like taking medicine. Experts want large trials to compare it with company-made liquid nutrition. However, this is tricky because families have different ways of doing it, and success depends on what families choose and how they make it. Additionally, blending food at home might be harder for families with money problems, limited nutrition knowledge and limited cooking skills. It is also important to know how children and young people themselves feel about it.
In this study, we will work with families who already blend food at home, to make a program that health professionals can use to help families. We will then invite 10-15 families of tube-fed children (3-11 years) in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, to try the program for three months. We will make sure we include some families with low income and limited nutrition knowledge and cooking skills.
Families will be provided with blenders and kitchen equipment a s well as training and support from the study team. Parent/carers will be asked to fill out surveys, answer health questions, keep food diaries, and share recipes. Additionally, our play specialist will provide a scrapbook for the families to record their experiences. Using arts helps children and young people express themselves. We will also ask families about their experiences in a recorded interview. At the end of the study, families can choose to keep using home blended foods or go back to their feeding plan or a combination. We will then invite the families who took part to help us review and improve the program before inviting another five families to try it.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/YH/0037
Date of REC Opinion
23 Mar 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion