Yes, in the majority of cases, babies who have had neonatal surgery go on to feed normally. However, feeding is introduced carefully and gradually rather than immediately after surgery, particularly for conditions involving the gastrointestinal tract.
For conditions such as intestinal atresia, TEF repair, or Hirschsprung disease, the bowel requires time to recover before it can tolerate feeds. Nutrition during this period is provided intravenously through total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Oral feeds, starting with small volumes of expressed breast milk through a nasogastric tube, are introduced once the bowel shows signs of functioning normally, and volumes are increased gradually over days to weeks depending on the baby's tolerance. Breast milk is strongly preferred for its protective effects on the fragile neonatal gut. For conditions not involving the gastrointestinal tract, such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, feeding may be introduced more quickly once respiratory stability is achieved. I work closely with families to support breast milk expression throughout the NICU stay so that breast milk is available when the baby is ready to begin enteral feeds.
Written by Dr Greeshma Suresh, MBBS (NEIGRIHMS), MS General Surgery (Silchar Medical College), MCh Pediatric Surgery (Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi), Paediatric Surgeon, Vatsalya Children Hospital, Mahavir Road, Orderly Bazar, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221002.
