What to Expect at a Paediatric Dietitian Session: Supporting Your Child's Nutrition and Wellbeing
Hi everyone, my name is Ashleigh Mitchell.
If you don’t already know me, I’m a specialist paediatric dietitian with a career spent in teaching paediatric hospitals, including Westmead Children’s Hospital and the Sydney Children’s Hospital. As a mum of two, I understand the challenge of balancing kids’ nutrition with the demands of a busy family life. In this blog post, I want to share what to expect in a dietitian session. First, though, let’s take a step back to understand a bit more about why nutrition is so important.
Why is Nutrition Important?
We know that good nutrition supports growth, overall wellbeing, and can help manage chronic conditions, especially in children. Poor nutrition can lead to increased fatigue, reduced participation in other therapies, exercise or activities, higher absenteeism from school, and a higher risk of respiratory illnesses. Kids with poor nutritional status are also at risk for preventable deficiencies and might miss out on social activities due to related health complications.
What Does a Dietitian Do to Support Nutrition?
Many people think dietitians focus solely on nutrients, and we’ve sometimes gained a reputation as the “food police.” I’m here to bust that myth and share that our approach is much broader than that.
We look at overall nutrition, including energy, protein, fluids, vitamins, and minerals, while assessing a child’s growth. But we also understand that feeding and eating for kids (and adults!) are complex, involving many factors beyond just nutrient intake. A child’s interest, skills, and capacity for feeding are shaped by many factors such as their medical history, gut health, and past feeding experiences—from infancy through to the toddler years and into older childhood. Their journey impacts their relationship with food which directly impacts nutrient intake.
The mealtime environment is another key element: are they eating on the go because of sports, or do they eat differently at daycare compared to at home? There are many things surrounding eating to understand. All of these factors help us create a plan that supports the family and child’s nutrition goals. We also assess developmental stages and feeding safety.
Following a nutritional assessment, we might suggest blood tests to check for specific nutrients or review current medications and supplements. We also discuss gut health—yes, even the topic of bowel habits! This can be sensitive, especially for young teenagers, but it’s essential to understand factors like bowel regularity, reflux, and other digestive issues that may impact appetite and eating.
Food Record Analysis
Sometimes, we ask families to complete a three-day food record. This is where families will record everything that the child eats for three days and we'll analyse it down to the micronutrient. Tt allows us to compare what the child ate to the recommended dietary intake (RDI). The RDI is the amount that will meet the needs of most kids of their age for each nutrient.
Image: Analysis of 3 day food diary showing micronutrients.
This analysis helps us tailor our support plan. If the record shows that the child is meeting most of their nutritional needs, it can reassure families and ease any worries. If there are gaps, we explore creative ways to boost nutrition through preferred foods or supplements, planning alongside the family to support their goals.
Understanding the “Why” Behind Nutrition Challenges
One of the first steps is understanding the root causes of any nutrition concerns. Helping caregivers understand the underlying factors impacting nutrition can be empowering and often helps to ease stress. We spend a lot of time working with families to support positive mealtime experiences and make nutrition enjoyable.
Working with Other Health Professionals
Often, we work alongside other members of an allied health and medical team, including occupational therapists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, psychologists, and medical specialists.
Ready to support your child’s nutrition journey?
Book a session with me to explore personalised strategies that help your child thrive. Whether it’s boosting energy, improving mealtime experiences, or managing specific nutrition needs, I’m here to support you every step of the way. Reach out today to get started!
Until next time,
Ash
Your Child’s Nutrition Specialist