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Background: Children fed via a gastrostomy are provided with commercial produced formula feeds. They are not offered blended diet (BD) as an alternative, and it is not formally supported in the UK due to concerns regarding nutritional content, contamination and tube blockages. Despite this increasing numbers of families are opting to use BD., Objective: To discover why parents opt to use of BD with their children and young people who are fed via gastrostomy., Method: This mixed methods study comprised a qualitative phase of 18 in-depth interviews with parents who were using BD with their child. The quantitative phase comprised a survey of 208 parents, 140 of whom used BD and 68 did not use BD., Results: The in-depth interviews identified four overarching themes that influenced parents' decision to use BD; loss, conflict, empowerment and quality of life. Responses from the survey revealed differences between those who did and did not use BD in levels of self-efficacy, views about formula feeds, rating of their child's health and stools., Conclusion: Concerns about formula feeds and less perceived need for it are key determiners in parents' decision to use BD. These views are influenced by social constructs and individual beliefs and circumstances. Those using BD were more likely to rate their child's stools as being normal and rated their child's health more highly than those not using BD., (Copyright © 2022 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The present review aimed to identify what is known about the use of blended diets in gastrostomy fed children and young people (i.e. children and young people refers to those who are aged up to 25 years with special educational needs or a disability in accordance with Part 3 of the Children and Family Act 2014; within the review, the word children is used for simplicity but encompasses young people too) and to identify gaps in the literature on this topic to inform future research and policy., Methods: A scoping review methodology was used searching the online databases PUBMED, PsychINFO, CINAHL, SCOPUS and AMED, EMBASE for articles that addressed issues pertaining to blended diets. The review identified a broad range of literature, regardless of study design, and described and evaluated the quality, range and nature of research activity related to the use of blenderised diets., Results: Forty-three studies were included in the review. The studies focused on nutrition, equipment, the views of carers and patients, and the views of professionals. Several studies described the lack of evidence regarding pros and cons of blended diets and highlighted the need for further research into the field., Conclusions: There were gaps in the evidence base regarding the impact of blended diets on the health and well-being of the children who receive them and upon the carers who feed the children. The nutritional impact of blended diets is not fully understood and the knowledge and views of professionals involved in the care of those receiving blended diets varies., (© 2018 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.)