A paediatric (children’s) dietitian is a health professional who checks children’s nutrition, food intake, and growth. They give advice tailored to each child, taking into account their age, nutritional needs, treatment, and medical condition.
Who we care for
Paediatric dietitians work with children from very premature babies through childhood and up to adolescence. After adolescence, care is passed to adult services.
We provide services locally and regionally:
- Locally: All children referred by paediatricians at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. This includes children with diabetes, those at the Child Development Centre, and children needing general paediatric medical or surgical care.
- Regionally: As a centre for special paediatric care, we help children with:
- Neonatology (newborn care)
- Paediatric intensive care
- Cystic fibrosis
- Gastroenterology (digestive system).
- Inpatient and home parenteral nutrition
- Oncology (cancer care)
- Metabolic and ketogenic therapy
- Diabetes insulin pump therapy
- Specialist surgery
The team is led by a principal paediatric dietitian, supported by advanced dietitians. They provide training, peer support, and professional development for the team. The team is growing, with plans for new services at the proposed children’s hospital.
What we do
Paediatric dietitians turn nutritional requirements into practical advice for feeding, diets, and growth.
- On admission to hospital: Each child’s weight and height are measured. A nutritional screening is done.
- If needed, a full nutritional assessment is carried out by a dietitian.
- During a hospital stay, some children may need nutritional support or a special diet. The dietitian monitors the child and provides advice and support.
- After discharge, children may be followed up at the hospital outpatient clinic or by their local paediatric dietitian.
Paediatric dietitians work with doctors, nurses, and hospital kitchen staff to make sure children get healthy, age-appropriate food. They also provide special meals for children with cancer or other medical needs. We also manage expressed or donated breast milk in the hospital’s milk kitchens.
Clinics and referrals
We run up to eight dietitian-led clinics per month. Referrals come from Addenbrooke’s paediatricians only (no GP referrals).
We see children with:
- Faltering growth
- Feeding difficulties
- Food intolerances and allergies
- Iron deficiency anaemia
We also support 85 consultant-led clinics per month for children with:
- Cystic fibrosis
- Neonatal care or surgery
- Cleft lip and palate
- Scoliosis
- Oncology
- Diabetes
- Gastroenterology
- HPN (home parenteral nutrition)
- Metabolic disorders
- Paediatric ketogenic therapy
Education
The paediatric dietetic team teaches and trains locally, regionally, and sometimes nationally.
- Team members have access to structured learning and competency frameworks.
- Education is provided to Trust staff, and linked Cambridge educational establishments.
- Regionally, the team helps other paediatric dietitians across East Anglia and delivers specialist training at study days.