Purchasing Tips for Neonatal Enteral Feeding Pumps

Because of the special feeding requirements of neonatal patients, there are several capabilities and features you should look for when choosing a neonatal enteral feeding pump.

Accuracy. Adult enteral feeding pumps typically offer flow accuracies within 10% of programmed settings. However, a flow accuracy of within 5% is recommended for neonatal patients because of their sensitivity to feeding volume, the immaturity of their bowels, the increased risk of complications (e.g., necrotizing enterocolitis), and the necessity for delivering precise amounts of the nutrients essential for proper development. Most neonatal enteral feeding pumps are accurate to within 5% of programmed settings, though there is currently...