Starship Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Postal Address

Private Bag 92 024
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142

Contact Details

Phone (09) 367 0000 ext 22292
Fax (09) 375 4371

Outpatient appointments and surgical booking enquiries: (09) 638 0400 or  

Intestinal Failure

Children who have intestinal failure are unable to take food normally either because their bowel is not working properly or because they do not have enough bowel because they have had some removed (short bowel syndrome). Most of these children can take some food by mouth, but are unable to absorb enough food and nutrients to allow them to grow and thrive. When this happens artificial nutrition may be given into a vein. We call this intravenous nutrition or IVN. Some other places call it total parenteral nutrition (TPN or PN). Children with intestinal failure are seen at Starship for assessment and to create a treatment plan to maximise the rehabilitation of the remaining bowel, with the aim that they will eventually be able to feed normally. Some children are born with problems in the way their intestine absorbs food or in the way the food is moved along the intestine. These children may require IVN for their whole life and will therefore be managed mainly by the Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Service at Starship Hospital.

https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/public/gastroenterology-hepatology-liver/starship-paediatric-gastroenterology-and/