Early postoperative enteral feeding through a needle catheter jejunostomy.

The advantages of early postoperative enteral nutrition through a needle catheter jejunostomy in 13 operated children (1 day to 14 years) are analysed. They presented various surgical or medical diseases. 8 of them had a duodenal atresia or stenosis. Their postoperative follow-up was compared with other children suffering from the same pathology without early postoperative enteral feeding. The simplicity of the realimentation, the absence of septic complications and the metabolic advantages of this method prove to be extremely efficient when a protein and calorie malnutrition must be avoided and fractionated oral feeding is impossible.