Food for Feeding Tubes -  The BLended ENteral Diet Study (BLENDS)

​

I’ve set up this section of my website to signpost the various aspects of the BLENDS research   

 

This page is an introduction to the BLENDS Project, a collaborative partnership between Vygon, Nottingham University, Professor Jane Coad, Dr Sarah Durnan and the dedicated parents of tube-fed children.  The collection of  Resources linked here aim to improve the lives of families, carers and the wider community in understanding the benefits of blended diets.  The BLENDS Project was an important part of the journey towards better understanding and acceptance of blended diet for tube-fed children.​

​

Why BLENDS mattered

When our own blended diet journey began, things were very different. There was little practical information available to families, and many parents were learning from one another and working things out for themselves.

Over the years, that has changed enormously.

​

There is now much more professional interest in blended diet, more research, better practical guidance and greater recognition that, for some families, real food can be an appropriate part of enteral feeding.

That doesn't mean blended diet is right for every child, or that all the questions have been answered. But it does mean families are having a much more informed conversation with their clinical teams.

​

Things have changed enormously since Elliot started BD. What once felt like a battle for many families is becoming a much more ordinary conversation.

​

The journey has been amazing, as has the benefits seen by so many parents.  The Authors of the Project have succeeded in giving additional credence to a concept so simple as giving real food, but which has so many strands of complexity.