Abstract
Children require long-term enteral access for a variety of medical problems. Common reasons include cerebral palsy, congenital anomalies, failure to thrive, cystic fibrosis, inborn errors of metabolism, and HIV/AIDS. Although this will generally be accomplished with a gastrostomy tube, some children will not tolerate gastrostomy feedings and will have a jejunostomy placed or have their gastrostomy converted to a gastrojejunostomy tube. This article explains 3 methods of tube placement, discusses styles of gastrostomy tubes and their pros and cons, reviews management of tubes, and discusses common problems and their solutions.