nfants with viral bronchiolitis often are hospitalized for
respiratory monitoring and supportive care. Infants with
respiratory difficulty may be at increased risk of
aspiration of feedings into the lungs.1 According to the
American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines,2 children who
have difficulty feeding safely because of respiratory distress
should be given intravenous (IV) fluids. However, there are
other approaches. In a large Scottish study on viral bronchiolitis,3
none of the infants received IV fluids and no complications
related to nasogastric (NG) feeds were reported. NG
tubes also were reported as the common mode of feeding
in infants admitted with bronchiolitis in The Netherlands.4
Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
IV fluids for infants unable to sustain oral feedings,
no study has evaluated the preferred method for nutritional
and fluid support in these infants. Our study hypothesis was
that better and more physiologic nutrition could be achieved
by gastric tube (GT) feeding of breast milk or infant’s formula
as opposed to the administration of clear IV fluids, which
may, in turn, enhance recovery of infants with bronchiolitis.
The aim of our study was to compare the clinical outcomes
associated with GT feeding versus IV fluids among moderately
ill infants hospitalized with acute viral bronchiolitis.