The Department of Nutrition & Food Services at the Royal Children's Hospital provides a dietetic service to all inpatient units and to specialist outpatient clinics. A limited service is available to general outpatients (no referrals are accepted from outside the hospital).

Dietitians are university qualified specialists in the area of nutrition and its role in health and disease.  The Dietitians at the Royal Children's Hospital are available to consult on all aspects of infant and child nutrition including assessment, recommendations for nutritional management and implementation of therapeutic diets within the hospital. Dietitians can discuss nutritional needs for the home with the family and can provide education on normal nutrition and any modifications that may be needed for special diets.

RCH Dietitians also work as consultants providing nutrition information to both hospital staff and groups outside the hospital such as community groups, parents and other professionals.

Basic information about infant and child nutrition, including composition of the commonly used formulae is contained in the Paediatric Handbook. Further details on infant formulae are available on request.

Referral to Dietitians at RCH

Inpatients

Inpatient referrals can be made by contacting the unit Dietitian directly, details of unit Dietitians are available via Allied Health reception on 03 9345 9300.

Public Outpatient Service

Referrals are accepted from RCH Doctors only. There is no charge for this service. Please note that referrals for weight management are not accepted in our department and should be directed to the Weight Management clinic in the outpatient department.

Private service  

The Royal Children's Hospital Dietetics department does not offer outpatient consultation for private patients. Details of private Accredited Practising Dietitians in your area can be found at: www.daa.asn.au

Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) Program

Children requiring home tube feeding can be registered for the Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) Program.  This is a government funded initiative that allows us to provide families with equipment and formula required for tube feeding.  This program is available only to public patients who attend RCH for their medical management.