PEDIATRIC DIETETICS

What can we help with? Dietary expansion in an infant, neophobia, overweight and much more.

CHILDREN'S DIETICIAN LODZ

THE PEDIATRIC DIETITIAN CAN HELP WITH ASPECTS SUCH AS

• Starting a baby on a new diet (where to start and in what quantities)
• How to build healthy habits in children
• How to encourage your baby to try new foods
• Your child's constipation or nutritional deficiencies
• Overweight or obesity
• Food neophobia

HOW THE FIRST VISIT TO A PEDIATRIC DIETICIAN GOES

During the first visit, I collect a thorough interview with the parents. I talk about how the first months of the child's life went, whether there were any problems with feeding, what the meals look like and what is on the plate. The observations of the parent are very important to me, so I ask about every detail.

Depending on the problem, I try to give parents as many tools as possible to work with their child at home.

WHAT DOES A PEDIATRIC DIETITIAN DO?

List of indications to consult a child dietitian:

• If you suspect obesity or overweight
• If your child is underweight
• If there is a need for an elimination diet (e.g. vegan diet, vegetarian diet, lactose-free diet, gluten-free diet, ketogenic diet)
• If you notice that your child has constipation or recurrent diarrhoea
• If your child has nutritional deficiencies identified by tests
• If your child has allergies or food sensitivities
• If your child is increasingly refusing to eat and you no longer have any idea how to help him or her
• If you want to check whether your child's menu is varied enough

EXTENDING THE DIET

A new baby feeding scheme was introduced in 2014. It is very intuitive and allows for more freedom when expanding the diet. Which means that, as parents, we don't have to think about what to give first, whether egg yolk or protein, or measure the amount of gluten. We rely heavily on observing the child to assess its individual needs and development, i.e., its maturity for the introduction of other foods or a different food texture.

We are based on one very important principle:

• The parent or caregiver decides WHAT the child will eat, WHEN and HOW the food will be served, and the child decides IF the meal will be eaten and HOW much.

NEOFOBIA

Neophobia or aversion to trying new foods.

A certain level of fear of food is experienced by each of us, the intensity of this individual trait may vary during different periods of development, but it does not fluctuate easily under the influence of the environment.

There are several types of neophobia.

NEOPHOBIA AS A DISORDER

Food selectivity in older children and adults

DEVELOPMENTAL NEOPHOBIA

The level of fear of new foods, which is an individual trait.

OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY IN CHILDREN

In the last 20 years, the number of obese children in Poland has tripled!

The result of overweight in young children is the proliferation of adipocytes - fat cells - which can lead to disorders of physical and mental development. At a later stage of development, children may become more withdrawn, excluded from groups and depressed.

OUR SPECIALISTS IN PEDIATRIC DIETETICS