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When to Apply to a Dietitian With a Child
Table of Contents
1. The most common problems that are worth reporting to a dietitian
Nutrition should support the physical and intellectual development of the young, prevent overweight and obesity, and reduce the risk of dietary diseases in adulthood.2. Obesity and overweight
It is estimated that 1⁄3 of Polish 8-year-olds struggle with excess body weight, more often boys (A. Divelska et al. 2017). Children eat too few vegetables and fruits, too many sugary drinks, sometimes do not eat breakfast, and in their menu too often appear sweets, salty foods or fast food. These bad habits will help to eliminate the diet.3. Lack of appetite and food selection
A lack of appetite in children can be the result of various health or psychological problems. It occurs sometimes in the course of anemia or intestinal problems, and is also accompanied by difficulties with biting or swallowing. A worsening of the appetites can be caused even by previous unpleasant experiences, such as constipation. If a child at the age of two to six starts refusing to eat food and has previously eaten everything from his plate, he may have entered the stage of neophobia. The child during this period does not want to try new foods, and his menu is very repetitive. This is a normal stage in children's life, but sometimes it can be difficult for parents to accept.4. Food allergies and intolerances
When children are diagnosed with allergies and food intolerances, sometimes they go away with age, sometimes you have to struggle with them for a lifetime, when parents are concerned that their child's diet is properly balanced after eliminating products that cause adverse reactions, when a child is diagnosed as having an allergy to cow's milk, eggs, fish or other ingredients, or intolerance to lactose, gluten, or fructose, it's a good idea to consult a specialist, who will show you how to replace products so that important nutrients are not on your food list.5. Food-related illnesses
Another reason parents should consult a child nutritionist is for diseases in which nutrition plays an important role as a component of treatment or to improve the comfort of life. Young patients struggle with, among others, type 1 diabetes, pancreatic, kidney and liver diseases, cancers or mucosal dystrophy.6. Other reasons
A desire to consult a specialist when extending the infant's diet. The use of a vegan and vegetarian diet in children.7. How to choose a dietitian?
First of all, it's worth paying attention to dietetics education. It's best to be someone who's graduated from college. A specialist should constantly expand their knowledge by attending courses and training and following the latest scientific research. Nowadays, more and more dietitians are choosing their specialty. So if there's a dietitian who specializes in working with children in the area, you should choose the right one. He'll know how to talk to the youngest so that the child doesn't feel preoccupied or confused.8. Is this what a first visit looks like and how to prepare for it?
The first consultation includes a medical and nutritional interview and an analysis of past habits. The specialist asks about the meals eaten, their times and frequency, chronic diseases, allergies and intolerances, medicines and supplements taken. He also asks for the current lifestyle and likes physical activity. He makes anthropometric measurements (body mass and growth) and then marks them on a centyl net to determine whether the body mass is normal. However, some families are also analysed on the basis of current research practice, where there is usually no need to make a prior decision about food before the first visit.
