About dietitians in neonatal care
Dietitians can have a significant impact on the care of sick and premature babies providing, as part of the neonatal team, specialist nutritional advice facilitating improved outcomes to each infant and designing nutrition practice protocols and monitoring tools. By enhancing clinical effectiveness and avoiding clinical complications the role can lead to a reduced length of hospital stay with associated cost saving implications.
For more information on neonatal dietitians see the BDA website.
Webinars
To explore the role of dietitians in neonatal care, the BDA has a series of free webinar recording. Included in the webinar series is information about why nutrition is integral to the care and outcomes of babies born sick or premature, an insight into the clinical knowledge and skills education opportunities for dietitians working with these babies and their families, and an interactive case study to highlight the important role dietitians play in the neonatal unit.
- Exploring the role of Neonatal Dietitians
This webinar explores the role of nutrition in neonatal care, show cases the role that dietitians play in the neonatal unit and discusses the various nutritional interventions and practices that are central to neonatal care. - Day in the life of a neonatal dietitian
This webinar follows one of our neonatal dietitians and highlights the variety of work undertaken on a typical day on the neonatal unit. - An interactive neonatal case study
This webinar presents the dietetic aspects of a neonatal case study. Supported by questions and answer session to showcase nutritional interventions in neonatal care. - Transitioning into neonatal dietetics
This webinar explains the pathway for dietitians to build on existing skills and knowledge and acquire the specialist expertise required for working in neonatal dietetics. Signposting to education and training available for upskilling.
Neonatal Workforce, Service Specifications and Commissioning Documents from the BDA
To support workforce planning for dietitians in neonatal care, staffing recommendations have been set out by the British Dietetic Association Neonatal Dietitians Interest Group (BDA NDiG) and endorsed by BAPM. These staffing recommendations can be found on the BDA NDiG website.
Dietitian Staffing on Neonatal Units
The BDA Neonatal Dietitians Knowledge and Skills Framework identifies standards for a safe and quality service. This document can be found on the BDA NDiG Website.
Knowledge and Skills Framework for Dietitians Working within Neonatal Services
Professional Groups
Neonatal Dietitians Interest Group (NDIG) is a sub group of the Paediatric Group of the British Dietetic Association providing an informal network for neonatal dietitians from the UK and Ireland.
Neonatal Dietitians Interest Group (NDIG)
Aims
- To establish a network of dietitians working in neonatology to share practice.
- To create a forum for discussion of current issues within the field of neonatal nutrition.
- To provide evidence based education and advice to non-specialists and specialists in the field of neonatology through meetings, study days and a network of experts who can be contacted for advice.
- To develop links with other professional groups working in neonatology.
- To undertake joint collaborative audit and research to develop formalised standards and publish work
Committee details
Please contact them for support and information:
