Gavage Feeding

Human breast milk is the best nutrient for preterm infants and is often delivered via gavage feeding methods before the baby s sucking skills mature. Because sufficient quantities of the mother s fresh breast milk may not be available, milk may be frozen for later consumption or be provided by donor mothers. To protect against the risk of disease transmission, donor milk is usually pasteurized. In the present study, we assessed preterm infants responses to the odours of different categories of milk that are routinely available in neonatal intensive care nurseries. 

Depending on the physicochemical nature of the chemical and the route of exposure of particular concern or relevance to expected human exposures, the test materials may be administered orally by incorporation in food or water or by gavage (feeding tube) directly into the stomach, dermally (by application to the skin), or by inhalation in the form of a... 

Animal studies can include the following routes of administration inhalation, dermal, oral gavage, feeding, and intraperitoneal, intravenous, and subcutaneous. Studies can include looking at developmental and reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, histopathol-ogy, and carcinogenic end points. 

When the manufacturer has information on alternative methods for ingestion, this should be stated as clearly as possible in the product details for example, whether the tablet can be pulverised or broken, the capsules be opened, or the content be mixed with food or liquid. The manufacturer should also account for patients who receive gavage feeding. 

Sander and Burkle (31) were the first to induce tumors by feeding nitrite and amines or amides. The tumors were attributed to in vivo formation of the N-nitroso compounds, probably in the stomach. When pregnant rats were gavaged with ethylurea and nitrite, hydrocephalus and nervous system tumors were induced in the offspring. Both these effects were prevented when sodium ascorbate was gavaged together with the ethylurea (21, 32). 

NTP. 1994. National Toxicology Program Technical report series no. 433. Tricresyl phosphate (CAS No. 1330-78-5) in F344 rats and B6C3Fj mice (gavage and feed studies). Research Triangle Park, NC U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institute of Health. NIH publication no. 84-2544. 

Twenty-three teratogenicity studies in which lead compounds (acetate or nitrate) were administered in the drinking water or feed or by gavage to rats and mice have shown no evidence that lead causes... 

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