Many children have unbalanced diets.
At the Pediatric Nutrition Clinic, in addition to cases of malnutrition or illness, there are many cases of children brought in by their parents due to slow weight gain, poor appetite, or signs of eating disorders. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Han (Nam Nha Trang ward), who brought her 31-month-old daughter for examination, said: "Although my daughter eats quite well, she hasn't gained weight for a long time. Currently, she only weighs about 10kg and is 82cm tall. I'm worried that she's developing slower than her peers, so I brought her to the nutrition clinic for a check-up and further advice from the doctor."
Besides cases of underweight and stunted children, the clinic also receives many overweight and obese children. Dr. Tran Lan Anh, Head of the Pediatrics Department at Yersin General Hospital in Nha Trang, said: “Currently, two extremes often appear in child rearing: Some families do not pay enough attention to their children's nutrition, leading to nutritional deficiencies. Conversely, some parents over-care for their children, giving them too many unnecessary supplements or vitamins. This easily causes nutritional imbalances and affects the child's long-term health. Therefore, scientific nutritional counseling plays a very important role in helping children develop in a balanced way.”
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| Doctors from Yersin General Hospital in Nha Trang conduct nutritional examinations and screenings for children at the Pediatric Nutrition Clinic. |
Nutritional counseling and treatment support
According to Dr. Tran Lan Anh, nutrition is a crucial foundation for the holistic development of children, not only contributing to physical growth but also supporting brain development, boosting immunity, and perfecting the body's organs. During inpatient examinations and treatments, doctors observed that approximately 15% of children required nutritional intervention, including cases needing special diets. To support treatment, doctors collaborated with the Pediatric Nutrition Clinic to develop appropriate meal plans for each patient, and provided nutritional advice upon discharge to help children recover better.
During outpatient examinations and treatments for common illnesses, hospital doctors also conduct nutritional screening. Cases with detected nutritional problems are referred to the Pediatric Nutrition Clinic. There, doctors assess the child's nutritional status through weight, height, and growth indicators; they also inquire about daily eating and living habits. Based on this, they provide specific advice on diet, care, and methods to improve nutritional status. Children showing signs of illness will be prescribed additional tests and paraclinical techniques for in-depth evaluation. According to doctors, many children, especially those from rural areas and disadvantaged families, are already severely malnourished and have developed complications by the time they come to the hospital for examination or treatment. Therefore, the hospital plans to implement more communication and nutritional counseling activities in the community in the near future to raise awareness and support families in better caring for their children.
Currently, the Pediatrics Department of Yersin General Hospital in Nha Trang has four doctors, including three with postgraduate qualifications and one who received specialized training in pediatric clinical nutrition at the National Children's Hospital. To gradually develop the field of pediatric nutrition, the hospital regularly collaborates with international organizations to conduct professional exchanges and share experiences in this specialty. The establishment of the Pediatric Nutrition Clinic aims to provide many families with a reliable place to monitor, advise, and care for their children's nutrition.
C.DAN
Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/y-te-suc-khoe/202603/dinh-duong-dung-cach-de-tre-phat-trien-16571bf/
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