Paediatric Nutrition Assessment
Paediatric Nutrition Assessment provides specialist evaluation by a paediatric dietitian of a child's nutritional status, growth trajectory, and feeding challenges -- identifying and treating undernutrition, overnutrition, food allergies, and feeding difficulties with age-appropriate, family-centred interventions that support healthy development.
Overview
Paediatric nutrition assessment requires a specialist understanding of the rapidly changing nutritional requirements across childhood -- from the first days of neonatal life through the adolescent growth spurt. A paediatric dietitian assesses growth centile trends, dietary intake adequacy, feeding behaviour, food allergy and intolerance, and the complex interplay of family, cultural, and social factors influencing a child's nutrition. Early identification and treatment of nutritional problems is particularly important in childhood as growth faltering, deficiency states, and disordered eating relationships established early have lifelong consequences.
Paediatric Nutritional Presentations
- Faltering growth (weight and/or height crossing downward centile lines)
- Selective eating and food refusal in toddlers and young children
- Food protein-induced enterocolitis (FPIES) and multiple food allergies
- Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) in infants
- Tube feeding dependence requiring transition to oral feeding
- Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents
- Nutritional support for premature infants
- Eating difficulties associated with autism spectrum disorder
Nutritional Goals in Paediatric Practice
- Restore normal growth trajectory with catch-up growth when indicated
- Ensure adequate intake of all nutrients for age-appropriate development
- Introduce allergenic foods safely and methodically in food allergy
- Support successful transition from tube feeding to oral eating
- Prevent and manage childhood overweight and obesity
- Support appropriate infant weaning practices at 6 months
- Address selective eating and food refusal without creating mealtime conflict
- Optimise nutrition for conditions requiring specialist dietary management
Indications for Paediatric Dietitian Referral
- Faltering growth with weight below the 2nd centile or crossing two or more centile lines
- Multiple food allergies or suspected CMPA in infants
- Tube feeding at home requiring dietitian monitoring and weaning planning
- Selective eating causing nutritional deficiencies
- Obesity in a child requiring family-based nutritional intervention
- Paediatric IBD, short bowel syndrome, or other GI conditions
- Autism spectrum disorder with severely restricted dietary intake
- Pre-term infant requiring nutritional optimisation for neurodevelopmental outcomes
Key Benefits
Discover the advantages of choosing our paediatric nutrition assessment services.
Early identification of faltering growth enables prompt treatment before developmental impact
Accurate food allergy dietary management prevents nutritional deficiencies
Division of responsibility approach reduces mealtime conflict and reduces food refusal
Vitamin D supplementation prevents nutritional rickets in high-risk infants
Family-centred approach builds parental confidence and reduces feeding-related anxiety
Clinical Features
The technology, techniques and clinical approach behind our paediatric nutrition assessment.
Growth chart centile tracking is the gold standard objective measure of nutritional adequacy
Division of responsibility framework provides evidence-based guidance for feeding difficulties
Food allergy nutritional completeness assessed and deficiencies proactively supplemented
Family-centred strategies enable parents to manage feeding between appointments
Vitamin D supplementation status confirmed at every paediatric nutrition appointment
Preparation Instructions
Implement dietary changes gradually and positively -- children respond better to repeated neutral exposure to new foods than to pressure or reward. Follow the feeding schedule provided by the dietitian consistently. Attend all growth monitoring appointments -- growth centile change is the most reliable indicator of nutritional progress. Contact the paediatric dietitian immediately if your child loses weight, refuses all food, or develops new symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, or skin reactions.
The Procedure
Step-by-step guide to what you can expect during your paediatric nutrition assessment procedure.
Growth Chart Review and Faltering Growth Assessment
Weight height and head circumference are plotted on age-sex appropriate growth charts. Downward centile crossing below the 2nd centile or across two centile lines triggers urgent nutritional assessment and investigation for medical causes of growth faltering.
Dietary Intake Assessment
A 3-day food diary reviewed with parents quantifies calorie protein and micronutrient intake. Age-appropriate serving sizes are assessed. Feeding behaviour meal duration texture tolerance and food refusal patterns are explored systematically.
Feeding Behaviour and Environment Assessment
Mealtime environment parental feeding practices and family food culture are assessed. Division of responsibility (parent decides what is offered child decides whether and how much to eat) is discussed as the evidence-based approach for managing feeding difficulties.
Food Allergy Management
Confirmed food allergies or intolerances are assessed for nutritional completeness of the avoidance diet. Milk egg and wheat-free diets in particular require careful nutritional planning to prevent calcium B2 and iron deficiencies.
Supplementation and Fortification
Vitamin D supplementation (400 IU daily for all infants) is confirmed. Iron-rich complementary foods at 6 months of age are emphasised. Fortified foods or targeted supplementation is recommended where specific nutrient deficiencies are identified.
Family-Centred Eating Strategies
Age-appropriate feeding strategies are provided -- responsive feeding for infants repeated neutral exposure for fussy toddlers structured family meals for school-age children. Parents are equipped with the knowledge and confidence to manage feeding challenges independently between appointments.
What to Expect
The paediatric dietitian measures your child's weight, height, and mid-arm circumference and plots these on growth charts to assess the growth trajectory. A detailed dietary assessment identifies any nutritional gaps. A child-friendly, family-centred feeding plan is developed that is practical for your family's lifestyle and respects your cultural and religious food preferences. Recipes, meal ideas, and practical feeding strategies are provided at every appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about paediatric nutrition assessment.
Related Services
Explore other services in our Dietitian department.
Medical Nutrition Therapy for Diabetes
Weight Management Dietetics
Renal Diet Therapy
Ready to Get Started?
Schedule your consultation today and take the first step towards better health.