Ensuring children receive proper nutrition is crucial for their growth, development, and overall well-being. A dietitian specializing in pediatrics can offer invaluable support and guidance. This article explores the role of a dietitian for children, particularly focusing on those available on the Gold Coast, and highlights when and why you might seek their expertise.
What Does a Paediatric Dietitian Do?
A pediatric dietitian is a healthcare professional specializing in the dietary needs of children from infancy through adolescence. Their role is to assess the nutritional status of children, considering growth, development, and specific medical or health concerns. The paediatric dietitian creates personalized nutrition plans based on the child’s unique needs, whether it’s managing food allergies, picky eating, weight issues, or specific medical conditions like diabetes or digestive disorders. Additionally, they work closely with parents and caregivers to educate them on how to provide balanced, nutritious meals that support their child’s overall health.
Personalized Nutrition Plans
Pediatric dietitians develop customized plans to address various nutritional needs. These plans take into account the child's age, weight, height, activity level, and any underlying health conditions. They are designed to promote healthy eating habits and ensure the child receives all necessary nutrients.
Education and Support for Families
One of the primary roles of a pediatric dietitian is to educate parents and caregivers. They provide guidance on how to create balanced, nutritious meals, read food labels, and make healthy food choices. They also offer strategies to address common challenges such as picky eating, food allergies, and weight management.
Management of Medical Conditions
Pediatric dietitians play a critical role in managing various medical conditions through diet. They can help children with diabetes, celiac disease, food allergies, and digestive disorders by creating specialized meal plans and providing ongoing support.
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Why Consult a Dietitian for Your Child?
There are several reasons why you might consider consulting a dietitian for your child. A child should be referred to a paediatric dietician or paediatric nutritionist when there are concerns about their growth, development, or eating habits. Common reasons for referral include failure to thrive, underweight or overweight issues, and specific nutritional deficiencies such as iron or calcium. If a child has food allergies, intolerances, or a medical condition requiring specialised dietary management, such as celiac disease, a referral to a kids dietician is essential. Additionally, children who are picky eaters, refuse certain food groups, or have difficulty transitioning to solid foods can benefit greatly from seeing a paediatric nutritionist who can help with strategies to improve their eating patterns.
Addressing Picky Eating
Picky eating is a common concern among parents. A dietitian can assess the child’s eating habits and develop strategies to expand their food preferences. When a child is a picky eater or struggles to follow dietary recommendations, a paediatric dietician uses a variety of strategies to make food more accessible and enjoyable for the child. This may involve introducing new foods gradually, using positive reinforcement, and involving the child in meal preparation.
Managing Weight Issues
Both underweight and overweight issues can have long-term health consequences for children. Dietitians can create tailored meal plans to help children achieve and maintain a healthy weight. They provide guidance on portion sizes, healthy snack options, and physical activity.
Addressing Food Allergies and Intolerances
Food allergies and intolerances can be challenging to manage. A dietitian can help identify trigger foods, create allergy-friendly meal plans, and educate families on how to read food labels and avoid cross-contamination.
Supporting Children with Medical Conditions
Children with medical conditions such as diabetes, celiac disease, and digestive disorders often require specialized dietary management. A dietitian can develop meal plans that meet the child’s specific nutritional needs and help manage their symptoms.
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Paediatric Dietitians on the Gold Coast: An Overview
Karina Savage: A Leader in Paediatric Nutrition
Karina Savage, BSc, BND, APD, is a well-known paediatric dietitian with over 23 years of clinical experience. Her credentials include a Bachelor of Nutrition & Dietetics and a Bachelor of Science. Karina has extensive experience in paediatric nutrition, including 10 years in a children’s hospital. She is also a TV presenter on Channel 7’s Sunrise and hosts the podcast "The Easy Feed." Karina is a published author in paediatric allergy research, focusing on babies with reflux, colic, allergy, and gastrointestinal disorders.
As the founder of Nourishing Kids, she is passionately dedicated to helping families foster healthy eating habits from the very beginning. Karina's engaging and relatable style as a presenter has made her a sought-after speaker at national parenting expos, seminars, and in the media. Karina offers a limited number of online consultations each month for:
- Babies with colic/food allergies and intolerances
- Kids with tummy pain, diarrhoea, constipation
- Specialised plans for vegetarian/ vegan, iron deficiency, IBS, underweight, overeaters, ASD and ADHD ( NDIS approved)
Karina's approach is rooted in gut health and nutrition, aiming to provide a "one stop shop" for busy parents who value these aspects but struggle to get their kids to eat the way they want to.
Testimonials for Karina Savage
Karina has received positive feedback from parents who appreciate her practical and supportive approach. Here are a few testimonials:
- “Karina has a fabulous way of making me feel like I’m doing a good job, which I love.”
- “Highly recommend Karina. She gives excellent advice on how to get nutrients into extremely picky eaters - and great recipes to help with that. She also has a great meal plan which I've found much better than any other meal plan from picky-eater professionals. It is easy and achievable and caters to most tastes. The food reviews on her Instagram account are great - they are honest about the limitations we face as busy mums and she doesn't make me feel bad about the "quick" options I sometimes give to my kids! Karina has a really fabulous way of making me feel like I'm doing a good job, which I love."
- “I’m forever grateful, I was overwhelmed and stressed and now I’m totally smashing it!”
- “It's not often that you find a health practitioner who understands your needs so completely and resolves all your concerns with ease. Karina has helped me to become a confident new mum and for that I'm forever grateful. Introducing solids to my six-month-old son was very overwhelming and stressful, but now I'm totally smashing it!"
Other Dietitians and Services on the Gold Coast
While Karina Savage is a prominent figure in paediatric nutrition on the Gold Coast, there are other dietitians and services available to support families.
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YMCA Youth & Family Nutrition Consultations: The YMCA offers nutrition consultations where dietitians work with families to help children develop healthy habits through family nutrition support. They provide guidance on implementing healthier eating habits, evaluating pantry and refrigerator contents, cooking healthier meals at home, and setting achievable nutrition goals.
Individual Nutrition Counseling: Several registered dietitians provide individual nutrition counseling tailored to meet specific needs. These sessions can cover various topics, including weight management, disease prevention, and sports nutrition.
Registered Dietitians: A registered dietitian is a medical professional certified by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They have the expertise to provide accurate and trustworthy nutrition information.
Additional Resources and Support
WIC Program
The WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program is committed to helping women understand the benefits of breastfeeding and providing nutrition education and support. WIC offers group education sessions on various topics, including:
- Benefits of breastfeeding
- Infant feeding during the first 4-6 months
- Infant feeding during 6-12 months
- Toddler feeding questions
- Preventing anemia
- Obesity
- Tooth decay
- Child safety
- Food safety
- Getting the most nutrition for your money
WIC also provides individual counseling for those with medical conditions that impact their nutritional status, such as gestational diabetes, inadequate weight gain during pregnancy, low birthweight infants, and obesity.
Breastfeeding Support
The WIC Program provides extensive breastfeeding support, recognizing that breast milk is uniquely designed for each infant’s individual needs and offers health benefits that formulas cannot provide. They offer resources and guidance to help mothers successfully breastfeed their babies.
Nutrition Education
Nutrition education is a key component of supporting families. WIC provides information on the nutrients of concern, such as protein, calories, calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, and helps participants learn which other foods they need to add to improve their diets.
Follow-Up and Continuous Guidance
After the initial consultation, follow-up with a paediatric dietician/ nutritionist may be required depending on the situation. This can help to monitor dietary changes made, assess progress, provide support with any challenges, and adjust the child’s nutrition plan as needed. A paediatric dietitian provides continuous guidance to parents, helping them navigate any hurdles they face in implementing dietary changes at home. This follow-up ensures that children stay on track with their nutritional goals, and it allows the dietician to offer ongoing encouragement and practical solutions for both parents and children.