Students host event focusing on growth monitoring of children
"If these measurements are taken accurately, malnutrition or other developmental issues can be identified soon enough for rapid intervention and treatment."
A group of fourth-year student dietitians, currently completing the community block of their internship at the Daspoort polyclinic, hosted an event focusing on growth monitoring of children.
Marni Bezuidenhout, Liesl Hartley, Nikola Jonker and Sonja Strauss are studying at the University of Pretoria (UP).
Their target audience was the mothers of children under five in the community as well as surrounding areas, together with the healthcare workers and community health workers at local clinics.
The event was opened by the student dietitians, who welcomed all the attendees and also thanked those who were involved in the day.
Delicious cookies were bought from Eljada Huis, which were enjoyed during a tea break.
The student dietitians also invited guest speakers such as fourth-year occupational therapy students (also from UP) who educated mothers about a child’s developmental milestones.
A registered dietitian, Shaszia Alli, spoke about the importance of good nutrition for women during pregnancy.
Other topics included the prevention of children being too short for their age due to inadequate nutrition and adequate nutrition during breastfeeding.
‘One plate for the whole family’ was a budget-friendly approach on how to use the same ingredients in different forms for infants, toddlers and older children/adults.
Advice was also given on the use of cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers and how to grow your own vegetable garden.
The day ended with a presentation specifically aimed at healthcare workers and community healthcare workers.
This presentation emphasised the importance of accurately measuring the weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference of children under five years by healthcare workers during clinic visits.
“If these measurements are taken accurately, malnutrition or other developmental issues can be identified soon enough for rapid intervention and treatment,” Bezuidenhout said.
She added that the students wanted to emphasise the importance of regular clinic check-ups for children under five.
“Children’s growth should be monitored during each visit to the clinic for immunisations.
“Once immunisations have been completed up to two years of age, children should continue to visit the clinic at least every six months,” she said.
The student dietitians thanked their supervisor at the clinic, Marion Beeforth (a registered dietitian who works at the Daspoort polyclinic), for her guidance.
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