Efficacy and safety of teduglutide in children with short bowel syndrome: a narrative review.

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) in children often requires long-term parenteral support (PS), predisposing to liver disease, catheter-related complications, and reduced quality of life. Teduglutide has shown promise in enhancing intestinal adaptation and reducing PS dependence in children with SBS. A narrative review was conducted in PubMed, CNKI, and WANFANG databases to identify studies published from January 2017 to February 2025 on teduglutide use in SBS pediatric patients. Outcomes assessed included PS volume reduction, parenteral nutrition (PN) weaning, growth, stool output, citrulline levels, and safety. Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, encompassing 886 children with SBS who received teduglutide for durations of 12-144 weeks. Most studies used 0.05 mg/kg/day dosing regimen. Reported outcomes consistently demonstrated reductions in PN volume (≥ 20% in many cases), increased enteral nutrition tolerance, improved growth parameters, and potential for enteral autonomy. Studies with longer treatment durations tended to report more pronounced clinical benefits, including higher rates of PN volume reduction and complete weaning. Teduglutide was generally well tolerated. Although further long-term data are needed, current evidence supports teduglutide's role as an effective adjunct in the management of SBS in children.