[Treatment of children with intestinal failure: intestinal rehabilitation, home parenteral nutrition or small intestine transplantation?].

Intestinal failure is characterised by inadequate absorption of food or fluids, which is caused by insufficient bowel surface area or functioning. Children with chronic intestinal failure are dependent on parenteral nutrition (PN), which can be provided at home (HPN). In the Netherlands, HPN for children is coordinated by special HPN and intestinal failure teams from the Emma Children's Hospital, the Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital and the Radboud University Medical Center. HPN is the treatment of choice for children with chronic intestinal failure. Small intestine transplantation is only justified if HPN fails because complications arise; this procedure is carried out at the University Medical Center in Groningen. In addition to medical complications, HPN has psychosocial implications both for the children and their parents. Systematic attention to these can be provided by the 'Quality of Life in Clinical Practice' method, which also enables collection of data relevant for research purposes.