Overview
Paediatric dietitians focus on the nutritional needs of infants, children, and adolescents. They offer individualised care plans for issues like food allergies, growth concerns, and nutritional deficiencies for your child. Finding the right treatment plan involves comprehensive nutritional assessments, diet planning for specific conditions, growth monitoring, and family support to help navigate your child’s nutritional needs.
What Is a Paediatric Dietitian?
A paediatric dietitian specialises in the nutritional needs of infants, children and adolescents. As experts in this field, they play a crucial role in assessing and managing dietary requirements tailored to each stage of a child’s growth and development. Their work is essential in promoting optimal health, preventing nutritional deficiencies and managing various medical conditions through diet.
Why Might You Need a Paediatric Dietitian?
If your child faces challenges such as food allergies, restricted eating habits, growth concerns or nutritional deficiencies, consulting with a private paediatric dietitian can offer reassurance and support through offering bespoke nutritional advice and plans for each child’s individual dietary needs are being met.
Paediatric Dietitian Services We Offer
Our paediatric dietitian services cater to a diverse range of dietary and nutritional needs, providing case-specific dietary advice and treatment to manage specific conditions effectively.
Services we offer include:
Individual Nutritional Assessments
Comprehensive evaluations to understand each child’s nutritional status and needs.
Diet Planning for Specific Conditions
Tailored plans for conditions like food allergies or faltering growth.
Growth Monitoring
Reviewing growth history and current growth patterns ensure children are meeting their growth potential through proper nutrition.
Family Support
Empowering families with the knowledge and skills to support their child’s health.
Conditions That Can Benefit From Our Dietitian Services
Our paediatric dietitian services are instrumental in treating a variety of health conditions that affect children’s growth, development, and overall wellbeing.
Conditions that can benefit from our dietitian services include:
Food Allergies and Intolerances
Support with diagnosis and management of IgE (immediate) and non IgE (delayed) food allergies. Support with introduction of allergens through the weaning diet and guidance on home introductions of allergens where appropriate.
Growth Concerns, Faltering Growth or Weight Management
Providing individualised guidance to support long term improvements in dietary intake.
Selective Eating Food Refusal and Restricted Eating Habits
Individualised guidance and support to support introduction of new foods, supplementation where appropriate and improve overall dietary variety and diversity
Nutritional Deficiencies
Addressing diagnosed deficiencies or concerns on gaps in nutrition to support healthy growth and development.
Vegan and Vegetarian Diets
Offering guidance and support for those wishing to raise infants and children on a nutritionally balanced plant-based diet.
Why Choose Mid Ulster Clinic for Paediatric Dietitian Services?
We prioritise efficient and comprehensive paediatric dietetic services. Our patients benefit from short waiting times to access to experienced dietitians, flexible appointments and comprehensive management plans . We are committed to supporting families in the management of dietary concerns and conditions. We work closely with our paediatric consultants and can refer onto additional services where necessary.
- Medically Reviewed
Last Reviewed By A Medical Professional On 01/29/24
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a paediatric dietitian do?
A paediatric dietitian plays a key role in managing dietary issues such as food allergies, growth concerns, restricted eating patterns and nutritional deficiencies through offering a thorough assessment of dietary intake, feeding behaviours and growth. Individualised care plans are provided to support specific area’s of concern.
What is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?
Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be regulated by law and are governed by an ethical code to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. The title of Dietitian is protected by law and everyone using this title has a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics.
Nutritionist is not a protected title and anyone in theory could call themselves a nutritionist. There are a variety of courses available which would allow individuals to qualify as nutritionists, this does include bachelor’s degrees. However, it’s not a legally protected title and there is no requirement for nutritionists to be registered with a governing body, such as the Association for Nutrition, in order to practice.
As the title of dietitian is regulated and protected you can be assured that Dietitian has the necessary qualifications to be able to support your child’s specific dietary needs.
When should a child be referred to a dietitian?
A child should be referred to a dietitian if there are concerns surrounding their overall dietary intake, growth or have confirmed or suspected nutritional deficiencies, food allergies other specific health conditions that can be managed or improved through dietary changes.
Can you see a dietitian privately?
Yes, you can self-refer to private dietetic services and do not need GP or consultant referral to access these services.
Private consultations generally offer shorter waiting times, more flexible scheduling and length of appointments can be tailored for individual needs.
How much is a private dietitian?
The cost of seeing a private dietitian starts from £150 for the initial session . Review packages are also available and start from £225. Each consultation includes the assessment, a comprehensive session summary with recommendations and any liaison necessary with for example GP’s or nurseries.