Understanding and making the best nutrition choices for your child can be challenging. With all of the messages about the “best” foods for children and ways to get them to eat, cutting through all the noise to make sense of the facts can be overwhelming. There is a way to conquer the overwhelm – consult with a pediatric dietitian. With a pediatric dietitian, you’ll have a trusted nutrition expert on your family’s side. In this blog post, you’ll learn why every family should consult a pediatric dietitian.

What Is a Registered Dietitian?

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) has received an undergraduate degree in nutrition and a graduate degree, completed an internship with a minimum of 900 hours of supervised practice, and passed a national certification exam. The education an RDN receives focuses on the science of food, how food impacts the body, and how to manage diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, with food.

While a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist has “nutritionist” in the name, looking for the “Registered Dietitian” part is critical. There is no regulation around the term “nutritionist.” Anyone can call themselves a “nutritionist” without any formal training. When you see a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist or Registered Dietitian, you can trust you’re working with someone with extensive nutrition and health training.

What Is a Pediatric Dietitian?

A Pediatric Dietitian is an RDN who has received advanced training in working with families and children from infants through adolescents. Pediatric dietitians can work in a children’s hospital or private practice. Their expertise in pediatric nutrition means that their knowledge and recommendations are tailored to working with families with children and teens.

Why Should a Child See a Pediatric Nutritionist?

If you have concerns about your child’s health or eating, seeing a pediatric dietitian can help allay your fears. They have specialized training in children’s nutrition and can help with many of the concerns below, including nutrition therapy for medical conditions. A pediatric dietitian will base their recommendations on research and what they’ve seen work for other patients, not on the latest social media fad.

Picky Eating

While most children go through periods of being picky eaters and having food jags, many parents become concerned about whether their child’s eating behavior is normal and get frustrated with mealtimes turning into battles. A pediatric dietitian can help you understand if your child’s picky eating is a phase or is more serious and can develop a plan to help increase the variety of foods your child will eat. One of the goals is to turn mealtimes back into quality family time and make them enjoyable for everyone.

Food Allergies and Intolerances

Determining if your child has a food allergy or intolerance can be challenging. Not all doctors understand the difference between allergies and intolerances and how they can impact children. A pediatric dietitian can help you determine whether your child has food allergies or intolerances and develop meal plans that provide the nutrition needed without triggering negative immune system responses.

Slow Growth

When a child has issues such as slow growth or failure to thrive, a pediatric dietitian can assess their nutritional status and create a plan to ensure they receive the calories and nutrients they need. The plan will focus on using foods the child will eat that fit into their family’s lifestyle and achieve optimal growth. The pediatric dietitian provides support for the parents and the child receiving services.

Weight Management

Understanding what a healthy weight is for a child can be confusing. A pediatric dietitian can help you know an appropriate range for your child’s weight and offer recommendations for achieving it. If a child’s weight needs to change, the pediatric dietitian will provide guidance without putting the child on a restrictive diet that can be harmful in the long term.

Eating Disorders

The prevalence of eating disorders in children continues to rise. If you’re concerned that your child may have or may be developing an eating disorder, then a pediatric nutritionist can help you determine if treatment for an eating disorder is appropriate. Our clinic helps children with eating disorders recover as a part of the treatment team.

Gastrointestinal Conditions

Gastrointestinal conditions in children, such as constipation, IBS, and celiac, require specialized knowledge that a pediatric dietitian can provide. Dietitians can help you understand the underlying causes of the symptoms and develop a comprehensive plan for addressing and managing them with food. Since many gastrointestinal conditions are lifelong, a dietitian can help prepare the child to manage it through junior high, high school, and college.

Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes

When a child is diagnosed with diabetes, it can be overwhelming for the parents. Much of diabetes management focuses on diet. A pediatric dietitian can help you understand how to manage Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes, including insulin monitoring, appropriate food choices, and how physical activity impacts blood sugar management. Like with gastrointestinal diseases, the pediatric dietitian can help the child learn to manage their diabetes as they age into adulthood.

Cystic Fibrosis

Those with cystic fibrosis can be at risk for malnutrition due to nutrient absorption issues that result from the disease. Registered dietitians can assist you and your child in creating a comprehensive nutrition plan that supports your child’s health and growth while helping to manage their disease into adulthood.

Tube Feeding

Registered dietitians are a critical part of your child’s medical team, especially if your child receives tube feeding. A dietitian helps ensure that the calories provided by tube feeding are appropriate for your child’s nutritional needs and growth and are well tolerated. If any adjustments need to be made to the formula or rate, for example, as the child grows taller, the RDN will help implement those changes and ensure they are tolerated.

Cancer

Managing eating while undergoing cancer treatments can be difficult. A pediatric dietitian can work with you and your child to ensure they are getting the calories they need using appropriate food choices during their cancer treatment.

What Are the Benefits of Seeing Pediatric Dietitians?

Pediatric dietitians have specialized training in working with families, parents, and kids, from infants and toddlers to preschoolers through adolescents.

Individualized Nutrition Plans

A registered dietitian takes an individualized approach to develop easy-to-follow treatment and meal plans for your child and family that fit your lifestyle. They will ensure your child receives appropriate nutrition, promoting healthy eating and growth patterns.

Pediatric Nutrition Expertise

RDNs specializing in pediatric nutrition understand the nutrition required for each stage of a child’s growth and development. They can help parents understand the child’s needs based on age and development and provide nutrition education to everyone in the family to achieve long-term health goals.

Education of Healthy Eating Habits

In addition to nutrition support, an RDN educates parents and children on healthy eating habits. This can include reading food labels, food and meal preparation, and making healthy choices when dining out. Establishing healthy eating habits in children can help them carry those habits into adulthood.

Collaboration with Healthcare Professionals

An RDN can work collaboratively with other members of your child’s healthcare team, such as a pediatrician or therapist, to coordinate medical care. This collaboration can ensure comprehensive treatment plans and better care overall.