What is Nutritional Support Therapy?

Nutritional support therapy is used to treat or prevent malnutrition in children who cannot eat enough food. There are two types of nutritional support therapy: enteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition. Enteral nutrition uses a feeding tube, while parenteral nutrition uses a tube inserted directly into the veins in cases where the digestive tract can’t be used. The method, amount, and type of nutrition used all depend on each individual child’s needs.

For more information, see our article Mapping the Journey from Birth to Kindergarten: Therapy Glossary.