Trying to assess the quality of life of families of parenterally fed children

Abstract

Introduction. Parenteral nutrition is a method of nutrition which involves the introduction of nutrients in their simplest form into the bloodstream without the digestive system. In the case of children in Poland, it has been used successfully for over 30 years.Aim of the study. To assess the quality of life of families of children fed parenterally.Materials and methods. The group of the examined persons consisted of 56 people, who were parents/guardians of a child fed parenterally. The mean age was 35.13 (±7.79) in mothers/guardians and 38.41 (±7.57) in fathers/guardians. The research was carried out by means of a diagnostic survey, using the author's questionnaire.Results. The parenteral nutrition of 3/4 of the group was conducted at home for several years. It was found that parenteral nutrition of a child significantly affects the functioning of the whole family (94.64%). The health situation in many cases forced one parent to resign from professional work (69.64%), reduced social contacts (48.21%), reduced holiday and holiday trips (80.36%). The leading cause of these changes was the need to adapt to the nutritional cycle of the child (85.71%). In the opinion of 35.71%, parenteral nutrition of a child burdened the family budget to a large extent, while in half of the respondents only slightly (55.36%).Conclusions. The parental nutrition of a child is a difficult task for parents, requiring from them strength and commitment to daily care activities. The need to adapt to the nutritional cycle disrupts the daily life of the family and often leads to the need for one parent to give up his or her professional career. The situation related to the parenteral nutrition of the child involves a financial burden on the family. Parental nutrition is a challenge for parents of children of all ages, with full and incomplete families, living in the countryside and in the city.