Giving Kids a Healthy Start: The Pediatric Place Offers Lactation and Nutrition Services
Being a parent or caregiver is full of joys and rewards, like seeing your child smile or hearing “mama” and “dada” for the first time. Raising a child also comes with concerns, and ensuring that your child is receiving adequate nutrition may be one of them. At The Pediatric Place, our team of experts is committed to supporting families through all aspects of child development. With that in mind, we are excited to offer nutrition and lactation consultation services to our community.
Tricia Fleming, TPP’s registered dietitian and certified lactation consultant, is passionate about providing support and education to families so all children can have a healthy start.
“Nutrition and healthy eating are lessons kids can use every day,” she explained. “While other topics are taught extensively in school, healthy eating may only be covered briefly. Starting early and focusing on relevant topics for children develops lifelong healthy habits.”
Good nutrition starts in infancy, with successful breast or bottle-feeding habits. TPP’s team of lactation and swallowing experts is here to support new parents every step of the way. According to Tricia, signs that your baby may benefit from support include pain during nursing that is getting worse; a mother experiencing mastitis or blocked milk ducts; a baby who is not gaining weight; and a baby who is fussy, gassy, or unsettled following feedings.
As a child grows, it is important to develop healthy eating habits from the start. Signs that your preschooler or school-age child may need help include picky eating, leaving out whole food groups (like meat, vegetables, dairy, etc.), overeating, hoarding food, undereating, using food as a crutch, sensitivity to textures, concerning eating behaviors, or parental concern that the child is receiving adequate nutrition.
Tricia is excited to join the staff at The Pediatric Place, because she believes that nutrition and lactation services are a perfect complement to services already offered at TPP–with physical therapists trained to assess how a child physically accesses food, occupational therapists who support sensory aspects of feeding, and speech therapists who are swallowing experts. TPP is thrilled to provide support for breastfeeding moms and nutrition expertise to the community we serve.
Call us today to learn more about scheduling an evaluation!
By Amy Wolcott, SLP, CCC