Pediatric Nutrition

Program Description: 

Specialization in nutritional sciences is essential for health professionals considering the diverse needs of the population in matters of food and health. Pediatric nutrition is a the maintenance of a proper well-balanced diet consisting of the essential nutrients and the adequate caloric intake necessary to promote growth and development of infants, children, and adolescents, and it can have a significant impact on one’s long-term health and well-being. Proper nutrition during these era can help prevent chronic diseases (particularly non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and some cancers) later in life besides promoting healthy growth and development. By nourishing our future generations, we can help ensure a healthy and thriving society.

Objectives :

The aim of the program is to inform and train those to whom the public turns for advice on nutrition-related aspects of infants and children’s health and disease.

In keeping with modern concepts concerning master graduates in the field of nutrition, all graduates will be expected to enthusiastically inform and inspire their patients and clients to adopt health-protecting and the healthy diets and develop plans to prevent, and even reverse all nutrition related-diseases in enhanced health and well-being of the patients and the community.

The mission is to develop pediatric nutrition graduates who have:

• To provide a planned program which complements the skills of the dietitian, providing additional expertise necessary for advanced, evidence-based practice in the field of pediatric dietetics.

• To enable students to apply theoretical knowledge and practical skills to an increasingly complex caseload in order to provide the most appropriate advice for infants (including preterm infants), children and adolescents.

• To develop students’ ability to analyze, interpret and synthesize new and emerging scientific knowledge in the field of pediatric nutrition and dietetics.

• To give students confidence in handling a variety of pediatric cases of increasing complexity as they progress through the five modules.

• To encourage effective communication of pediatric dietetics to patients, healthcare professionals and other groups.

• To support students to critically analyze and interpret their own work to advance their practice.

Expected Competencies at the End of the Program

General Competencies: 

The graduate of M.Sc. degree in Pediatric Nutritional is a professional who can perform a precise pediatric nutritional assessment, identify causes of health issues and special nutritional requirements of children, educate the patients and their families and develop nutritional advices and programs to re-establish and promote ongoing optimal health and wellbeing.

Specific Competencies and Skills (Special Qualifications):

The graduate of MSc degree in Nutritional Sciences has competency to:

• Demonstrate an extended knowledge of nutritional principles, growth, feeding, nutrient requirements and nutritional assessment in the field of pediatric dietetics.

• Demonstrate an appreciation of how psychosocial, financial and cultural factors affect families and children, and the importance of the multidisciplinary team in their management.

• Apply and synthesize theoretical knowledge to recommend the most appropriate and current dietary regimens for normal infants, children and adolescents, and those with particular needs, such as over and undernutrition and clinical conditions requiring a dietetic input.

• Communicate their nutritional knowledge to groups or individuals and evaluate outcomes.

• Critically evaluate new scientific and other evidence which may impact on dietetic practice.

• Make recommendations regarding public policy, such as food fortification and nutrition standards for infants and children. 

• Participate in planning and conducting research projects on pediatric nutrition.