Who is it?
Louisa Whitfield-Brown – Dietician
What do they do?
‘Dietitians are highly trained professionals who are skilled at assessing, diagnosing and managing nutritional problems within all groups of the population’ (British Dietetic Association, 2018).
I am Louisa Whitfield-Brown. I am a Dietitian with over a decade of experience working with babies and children. I have completed additional training in neonatal nutrition and am delighted to join the Neonatal Allied Health Professionals team on Ward 35.
I work as part of the multidisciplinary team on the Neonatal Unit promoting optimal growth and nutrition. This involves performing dietetic assessments looking at baby’s growth, blood results, clinical condition and nutritional requirements. This allows me to support the team by highlighting infants who may require additional support and discussing options to improve their nutritional intake.
In order to achieve intrauterine growth rates (the rate of growth that a baby would have if still inside the womb) in early postnatal life and support rapid brain growth, premature infants have high nutritional requirements. Good nutrition early in a premature infant’s life is vital to improve survival and neurodevelopment.
