Objective To investigate the effects of intestinal obstruction surgery combined with enteral nutrition on intestinal function and nutritional status of newborns with congenital duodenal obstruction.Methods A total of 103 newborns with congenital duodenal obstruction in our hospital from November 2018 to December 2021 were randomly divided into observation group (n = 52) and control group (n = 51). Both groups were treated with laparoscopic intestinal obstruction surgery. The control group was additionally given parenteral nutrition support, while the observation group was given enteral nutrition support with nasal placement of jejunal feeding tubes. The recovery of the intestinal function and the levels of physical indexes, nutritional indexes, growth regulatory factors, inflammatory factors and immune indicators were compared between the two groups 7 days after operation.Results The time to first defecation after surgery, duration of complete enteral nutrition, time to the speed of feeding to 40 mL/3 h, and length of hospital stay in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in the differences of physical indexes before and after the surgery between the two groups (P > 0.05). The differences of the serum levels of prealbumin (PA), total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) before and after the surgery in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in the differences of the serum levels of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) before and after the surgery between the two groups (P > 0.05). The difference of the serum level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) before and after the surgery in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The differences of the serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) before and after the surgery in the observation group before and after the surgery were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The differences in the frequency of CD4⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ cells before and after the surgery were higher in the observation group than those in the control group (P < 0.05), while there was no significant change in the difference of the frequency of CD8⁺ cells before and after the surgery between the two groups (P > 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05).Conclusions Enteral nutrition support with nasal placement of jejunal feeding tubes can effectively improve the nutritional status of newborns with congenital duodenal obstruction after intestinal obstruction surgery. Besides, it promotes the secretion of IGF-1, reduces postoperative inflammatory responses, enhances immune function and lowers the incidence of postoperative complications.