Archives: FAQs

Functional Formularies products can be used with most pumps. We recommend using the formula at room temperature. If the products are cool at all, even by keeping them in an air-conditioned room, the product will thicken. You may consider running the unopened pouch under hot water for a minute or two to thin the products down if needed.

The pump takes longer to prime than with commercial formulas, and it needs to be primed until it begins flowing.

If you are mixing formula with added water, you will need to re-blend it in a blender to make sure that the product is emulsified and does not separate. Some caregivers that we have talked with have noticed that if more than one pouch is prepared and administered at a time, even with adding water and blending it, there may be some settling depending on the length of feeding time. We recommend only one pouch being prepared at a time.

Infinity pumps tend to work better with blenderized formulas compared to Joey pumps.

95% of our customers have no issues using our real food formula, especially when administering it with a 60 cc no-ring syringe for bolus feeding. If using a syringe for bolus, it may be necessary to use the plunger. In these cases, an O-ring syringe can be easier to push than one with a full rubber stopper, which tends to stick and requires significantly more force. This resistance is sometimes mistaken for the formula not flowing properly, when it’s actually due to the syringe itself.

For further information, read our Administration Guidelines

Switch over slowly to allow the body time to adjust to real food (ie; fiber) again. Most patients start by replacing ½ to one serving of their current formula with Functional Formualries products, as tolerated, until a complete switch over is achieved. Most caregivers report transitioning over the course of 7-10 days. That is just a general guideline. Everyone is different, so the patient will need to be monitored.

Use clinical judgement to titrate. For recommendations, please check with your medical team.

The transition to Functional Formularies formulas typically produces favorable changes in an individual’s stool consistency, often referred to by clinicians as a Bristol Stool Score, from soft and diarrhea-like to more solid and/or normal. This was confirmed by a study at Baton Rouge General Hospital.  The primary investigator, Dr Tracee Short, observed that burn patients using Liquid Hope had better and more normal stool scores than those using commercial formulas.  This is largely a function of our products not having any added sugar and having greater compatibility with the patient’s microbiota.

On rare occasions, some patients transitioning to Functional Formularies temporarily experience mild bloating.  This is also a function of the individual’s microbiota receiving fermentable fiber for the first time since receiving enteral support. It is almost always only a temporary symptom, with bloating dissipating after 1-3 days.

For patients with a history of loose, watery stools and the associated issues such as malabsorption, there is usually an increase in those biomarkers associated with iron status.  Improved absorption of micronutrients is a common change in those switching to Functional Formularies.  Improved absorption combined with more effective protein digestion and metabolism is one reason why children with failure to thrive respond favorably to Nourish.