Impact of feeding team intervention on outcomes of pediatric patients with eosinophilic esophagitis.

OBJECTIVE

Children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) often present with feeding dysfunction. If not addressed, these difficulties may persist even after disease activity is controlled. We aimed to determine the impact of interdisciplinary feeding team intervention on outcomes of children with EoE.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study identified patients <8 years of age newly diagnosed with EoE. We identified whether they received feeding team intervention and extracted feeding-related symptoms, demographics, comorbidities, and treatment details. We examined patients with and without feeding dysfunction and assessed EoE treatment-related outcomes, including histologic response (<15 eos/hpf), global symptom response, and endoscopic features.

RESULTS

Of 127 children with newly diagnosed EoE, 68 (54%) were seen by the feeding team at any time during their clinical course. Approximately half (54%) of these patients had at least one feeding team appointment before EoE diagnosis, with an average of 0.7 ± 0.9 years between the initial appointment and EoE diagnosis. After combined EoE anti-inflammatory treatment and feeding team intervention, 70% had symptomatic response, 66% histologic response, and improvement in endoscopic findings. Outcomes were similar in those without feeding team intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Half of newly diagnosed children with EoE had symptoms warranting feeding team intervention. Most children achieved symptom resolution after treatment of EoE and feeding team intervention, suggesting that feeding team therapy has a tangible benefit in EoE patients.