What are Gtube Belts used for?
I see this question all the time and it seems so simple and basic, but not all gtube belts are the same!
A Gtube belt is a protective belt worn around the waist to protect a feeding tube site and attached extensions.
How do you prevent G-tube dislodgement?
If you have a child with a gtube whether they are still an infant or a toddler, you have probably asked this question a thousand times. As your child becomes more active and mobile, their feeding tube site is going to get pushed, pulled, and tugged on. If you have a standard gtube button, these can be easily put back in and life can go on…..BUT if you have a peg tube, a brand new/temporary tube, or a GJ it is not so easy. Most of the time, this means an automatic trip to the local ER or Children’s Hospital. Our children’s hospital is almost 2 hours away, so this is not a quick simple pop-in visit.
#1 issue with feeding tubes is dislodgement or getting pulled out!
The easiest way to protect a feeding tube site is to secure it and cover it. There are a lot of different options to secure a feeding tube and the tube extensions. We prefer paper tape or a Grip-Lok device to hold the extenstions down to the belly. This helps keep the button from leaking by getting pulled to the side. Now that you have it secured, how do you cover it?
Some kids do fine with just clothing. This is especially true if you remove the extensions after feeds.
What if you are on continuous feeds or don’t remove the extensions?
My child is like a wiggly octopus and constantly removing extensions just doesn’t work for us. She is also on continuous overnight feeds as well as medications throughout the day, so we keep her extensions on at all times. So we need to keep it covered and also keep her extensions away from her hands!
What is a Gtube Belt?
Typically a gtube belt is a belt made of fabric that goes around the G or GJ site at the waist.
How to use a gtube belt? And which one is right for my child?
There are 5 types of belts available and I will give you an overview of each type.
1. Utility Style Gtube Belt
Pros: easy access, great for older kids, lots of cute prints & patterns available, all day wear
Cons: Shifts and moves, can cause skin irritation or pull at feeding tube site
This is usually made of cotton, has velcro closure, and has little openings/ windows. They totally remind me of a Batman or Superhero Utility Belt! These openings allow you to access extensions and the site without having to remove the belt. The big downside of these styles of belts, is the openings! They seem like a great feature, but if the belt doesn’t fit perfectly and moves around, these windows become a huge hazard. If you look at the reviews for the utility style belt, the biggest complaints are that the belt shifted and caused skin irritation around the site, pulled on or pulled out the site, and the belt wouldn’t stay in place. This is not going to be helpful if your kid is pretty active!
2. Tummy Time Pillow Belt
Pros: super cute, takes pressure off feeding tube site for tummy time
Cons: only for babies, can pull or tug on feeding tube site, not good for all day wear
These are the cutest little pillows attached to a belt with a velcro closure and have an opening in the pillow for the site to sit in. Seriously, they are so cute! In theory these things look awesome and super comfy for tummy time. If your child is having issues with tolerating tummy time or seem very uncomfortable with the pressure on their site, this seems like the perfect solution! Once again, I looked at tons and tons of reviews. The biggest complaints are that the circle or square opening is usually dead center and feeding tube sites are usually off to one side. This creates the perfect opportunity to snag your little one’s site. Plus the whole point of tummy time is build up muscles to learn to roll, this pillow can actually cause your child to fall to one side off the pillow. Oops! Tummy Time Pillow Belts are really only made for infants and while they are on the floor. So this is not a good option for all day protection, and it also won’t grow with your child once they are past the tummy time phase.
3. Thin Stretchy Protective Belts (some have hard shells) “Turtle Shell Belts”
Pros: great for older kids/adults, perfect for sports or really active kids, can get wet, dries quickly
Cons: doesn’t stop exploring hands, no padding, can cause skin irritation like sweat rash, usually hand wash and hang dry.
These are the minimalist approach to coverage. The thin stretchy material reminds me of bathing suit cloth or a neoprene type fabric. The pros to this material is that it is super lightweight, can get wet and dry super quick, and usually come a ton of colors! The thin stretchy protect belts are also a great idea if your child doesn’t have extensions on all day. The belts that come with the hard shell really just protect the Mic-key or Mini button when not in use. Totally helpful for kids that play sports and are really active, and just don’t want to take the chance that the site will get snagged. The only real complaints, I have seen about this style of belt is if it is worn all the time can lead to sweat rash and it just doesn’t work well for kids on continuous feeds or always attached to extensions. This is an excellent choice though for teens and adults!
4. Medical Adhesive Elastic Bandages
Pros: cheap, can find at any pharmacy, may be covered by insurance
Cons: not washable, can reduce blood flow, skin irritations like sweat rash, have to replace often
This is the most recommended by medical professionals because they can write a prescription for the elastic bandages and most durable medical home health supply companies have it in stock. Just because it is more easily available, doesn’t mean that this is a good solution for everyone. First let’s look at the product. This is the same type of bandage that you would put on a sprained ankle. Some bandages have adhesive and some have little clips. The whole point of these elastic bandages is “to treat muscle sprains and strains by reducing the flow of blood to a particular area by the application of even stable pressure which can restrict swelling at the place of injury.”-(wikipedia).
Um, wait a minute! You want me to wrap a bandage around my child’s feeding tube site and it will reduce blood flow and restrict swelling? No thank you! Not to mention that you would have to wrap it around your child multiple times, and then unwrap it multiple times EVERY TIME that you need access to the site. That is a whole lot of wrapping! When our GI doctor suggested this I was a little shocked. I remember wearing one around my ankle, and getting the worst itching and sweating and swamp like foot. How is this going to work if your child has any kind of leakage from their tube? Also these bandages wear out pretty quickly and lose their shape, so you would have to start with a new one probably every other day. So these are definitely not a long term solution. I maybe would use these if I needed a VERY VERY temporary fix and all that was available was a CVS pharmacy.
5. Padded Belly Bands
Pros: custom fit with room to grow, for babies/toddlers/older kids/teens/adults, padding adds comfort and keeps hands from site, reversible for more options, machine washable & dryable
Cons: could get hot so check out the summer bands option, highly addictive for budding fashionistas!
This is a 3 layer belt made with different fabrics like fleece, flannel, or cotton with a velcro closure. This belt has no openings or windows, but is very simple to open and close for access to the feeding tube site. Each belly band is super soft and padded to help relive pressure on the stomach and feeding tube site for activities like tummy time. Once your baby is a toddler, this peace of mind comes in handy when they become super active, climbing furniture, going down slides, etc. These bands also work wonders for exploring and fidgety hands so it will work for older kids, teens, adults, and even seniors! The padding and the ability to adapt the band (like putting the velcro closure in the back) is an awesome defense to deter G or GJ sites from being push, pulled, scratched, or dislodged.
As an added bonus, each belly band is reversible! So that is 2 bands in 1 and more options to make a belly band part of your outfit. No more boring medical supplies, it now becomes a fashion statement. Each belly band is also machine washable and dryable.
