This course aims to provide students with knowledge and critical understanding of nutrition as central to clinical and preventive paediatrics and child health. You will learn about epidemiology of nutritional disorders and the assessment of nutritional status according to international growth standards. You will take an evidence-based approach to discuss treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, both in hospital and community settings. You will explore operational aspects of nutritional rehabilitation units and emergency nutrition interventions by using practical examples. You will develop an understanding of current nutrition policies and public health strategies to prevent stunting and childhood overweight. You will also consider causative factors of nutritional disorders as food production and food security.
The course consists of lectures, seminars, group work and directed self-study, including selected on-line resources.
Course Outline
Nutrition and health in the context of the mother and child:
This includes a full discussion on how maternal nutritional status affects the foetus, newborn baby and infant. There is a focus on issues related to foetal growth, breast milk and breast feeding and how changes in maternal behaviour can benefit or adversely affect her child. Examples will be used which include maternal anaemia (and its related nutritional causes) and maternal dietary practices in relation to recommended dietary allowances. These will be used to explain the importance of maternal nutrition for child health. The knowledge can be applied in other parts of the module in relation to nutritional intervention strategies.
Assessment of nutritional status:
This important topic will be addressed through discussion on frequently used definitions and how these are derived and applied in nutritional assessment. Data will be presented for analysis with reference to growth monitoring practices. The biochemical assessment of malnutrition will be considered with evaluation on how these components relate to current theories on the pathogenesis of malnutrition in children. Specific examples will be taken addressing vitamin deficiencies and bone mineralisation, folate metabolism, and protein-energy malnutrition. Some time will be given to methodologies related to dietary assessments.
Aetiology and prevention of malnutrition in children:
This theme addresses causative factors and preventive strategies relevant to the problem of malnutrition in children. It considers feeding practices including breast feeding and complementary feeding and over-nutrition. Information is presented as a basis for synthesising components into a practical model for designing and implementing nutrition interventions. This relates to a discussion of the sociological and medical approaches to understanding community nutritional status
Diagnosis and management of severe malnutrition:
As the clinical diagnosis of severe acute malnutrition is central for effective treatment this is considered in detail within the framework of the WHO Training Manual. Students should be able to apply this essential knowledge in the context of nutritional rehabilitation in either a hospital or community setting, or through nutrition rehabilitation units. Gaps in nutritional knowledge are also discussed.