Role of Dietitian:
A Dietitian is a state registered health and social care professional that works as part of the medical multidisciplinary team within the hospital. Dietitians apply the science of nutrition to promote health, treat and prevent malnutrition and provide therapeutic dietary guidelines for patients, clients and the public in health and illness.
The dietitians on the neurosurgery team in Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street will look after the food and fluid needs of your growing child during their hospital stay.
A key aim is to provide enough energy and protein to prevent your child losing their current muscle stores and promote continued growth and functioning during this period in hospital. This will help quicker recovery.
The dietitian will assess your child’s growth and eating history and assess all food and fluids currently taken. This includes assessment of your child’s intake of nutrients and micronutrients, for example energy, protein, fat, calcium and iron. If your child experienced weight loss during their admission or has difficulty with consuming food or fluids orally, the dietitian will advise on dietetic interventions to ensure your child meets their nutrient requirements.
In some situations (e.g after surgery) your child may not be able to eat or drink orally, therefore an alternative feeding route will be discussed and this may include a feeding tube. All the nutrients that your child will need can be provided through this feeding tube. If a feeding tube is placed it is usually a temporary treatment and we work closely with the speech and language therapists to monitor progress of your child’s oral skills in order to increase oral food and fluids, as tolerated by your child.
The dietitian will continue to monitor and review your child’s feeding plan during their hospital stay to ensure optimal health for your child’s recovery while maintaining growth.
Meet Your Dietetic Team:
Eimear Forbes, Clinical Specialist Dietitian CORU number: DI015070
Eimear Forbes qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Dublin Institute of Technology/ Trinity College Dublin in 2001. She commenced her career in the National Centre for Inherited Metabolic Disorders, Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Temple Street, Dublin before transitioning in 2010 to the general paediatric dietetics team in CHI at Temple Street where she has gained a wealth of experience in neonatal and paediatric dietetics, specialising in neurosciences. In 2018, Eimear commenced in the role of Clinical Specialist Dietitian in Neurosciences. She completed the INDI and Abbott Certificate in Leadership and Management. In addition to having a passion for promoting good nutritional care for children with neurosurgical needs, Eimear monitors children on ketogenic diet therapy for epilepsy here at CHI at Temple Street. As part of her role, she will continue to develop the dietetic service for children with neurosurgical needs and promote good nutrition and growth for children attending the service in CHI at Temple Street.
Isobel Connolly, Senior Paediatric Dietitian, CORU number: DI042927
Isobel Connolly qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Dublin Institute of Technology/ Trinity College Dublin in 2012. She started her career as a paediatric dietitian in Temple Street Childrens’ Hospital then worked in the NHS for a six year period, specialising in gastroenterology for five of these years. During this time she achieved an MSc in Advanced Professional Practice in Paediatric Dietetics. She is now applying her experience to date to help to improve the nutritional status of patients who are under the neurosurgery service.
Nutrition and Department Dietetics Department: (01) 8784442