Pediatric nutrition is vital to a young child’s health. Unlike many medical subjects, it’s both part of treatment and prevention. However, it’s such a wide ranging subject that one can easily become overwhelmed. The range of material is extensive enough to prove intimidating.
In the following list we’ll narrow down the options for pediatric nutrition courses. We’ll put special emphasis on courses with the widest appeal. Ideally a course should prove accessible for both parents and medical professionals alike.
7. Nutritional Insights: Selected Highlights from Johns Hopkins Medicine 12th Advances in Pediatric Nutrition
This course ranks somewhat lower due to the amount of prerequisite experience one needs. It’s primarily intended for people who already have a strong grasp of the subject. But it deserves mentioning simply due to unique information. It offers up some of the most up to date findings on pediatric nutrition.
Students can expect information regarding some of the more complex aspects of pediatric nutrition. For example, it covers special concerns needed when working with autistic children. Throughout the program, students can also expect an emphasis on evidence based medicine. As such, one should have some educational background in experimental design.
The course is one of the best pediatric nutrition course online options for continuing education. It’s not the best starting point. But it’s a good way to push one’s education to the next level.
Website: MyCME.com.
Certificate: No certificate, but does equal 1 course credit.
Exam: Yes.
Cost: Free.
6. Achieving Nutrient Delivery Goals for critically Ill Children With the Use of an Enteral Nutrition Algorithm
This course also ranks somewhat lower due to a very narrow focus. As such, it’s not applicable for many students. But those with special interest in hospital intervention for pediatric nutritional issues can find some valuable information.
It’s among the pediatric nutrition course online options that focus on severe nutritional issues. In this case, how to deal with pediatric patients who have issues eating food. As such, it puts a heavy focus on enteral nutrition.
The course places a heavy focus on methods to optimize nutritional goals for pediatric patients on direct enteral feeds. One can also use the course for continuing educational needs within the medical profession.
Website: Nestlenutrition-institute.org.
Certificate: No, but 1.00 CPEU for dietitians and 1.00 Contact hour for nurses.
Exam: Yes.
Cost: Free.
5. Early Nutrition eAcademy (ENeA)
One of the larger issues with nutritional science comes from the range of research. It’s a very broadly defined subject. And even within any specific focus one finds a wide range of methodological variation.
This program aims to help remove some of that complexity. The course presents some of the most important new studies on pediatric nutrition. It puts particular focus on the EU’s EARNEST programs. However, one can expect the course to cover a fairly wide range of studies. All of which meet the exacting specifications of the course.
It’s not well suited to absolute beginners. However, it ranks among pediatric nutrition course online options for continuing education. In particular, it helps one stay on top of new research.
Website: Nestlenutrition-institute.org.
Certificate: No.
Exam: No.
Cost: Free.
4. IGNOU Pediatric Nutrition Course
This course is applicable to people working in any area. But the partnership with Indira Gandhi National Open University brings some unique features. One of the most important comes from touching on subjects not commonly seen in most western courses.
The course looks at nutritional issues which affect everyone. But it also considers some items which are more commonly associated with larger scale economic problems. Along with this it can place heavier focus on environmental contamination.
This all makes it among pediatric nutrition course online options to consider for travelers. People who want to practice abroad or just help should give it extra consideration.
Website: Nestlenutrition-institute.org.
Certificate: No.
Exam: No.
Cost: Free.
3. Building Healthy Foundations: Emerging Data and Evolving Concepts in Early Childhood Nutrition
This course earns a higher ranking due to importance and scarcity of subject matter. Research into the role of microbiomes is one of the more cutting edge parts of nutritional science. As such, finding direct research and application within speciality subjects is fairly rare.
But this course puts a heavy emphasis on this and similar cutting edge research. And within an overall focus on pediatric subjects up to around two years old. It does cover many traditional subjects as well though. For example, specific emphasis on transitions to solid food.
The course does assume some prerequisite knowledge. But if one has any background in the sciences than it should be easy to jump in. As such, it’s among pediatric nutrition course online for obtaining specialty knowledge.
Website: Nestlenutrition-institute.org.
Certificate: No.
Exam: No.
Cost: Free.
2. Clinical Pediatric Nutrition
This course provides the best balance between theory and practice. And in addition it gives the largest overall scope. However, this also leads into the reason why it doesn’t sit at the very top. The scope and depth does require some prerequisite knowledge.
In general it’s a course best used by medical professionals. This can include people outside the nutritional field. They can expect to leverage their underlying medical education. And of course people inside the field can further their own education. But the more advanced subject matter might leave newcomers behind.
Even people within a single field of medicine might find themselves overly challenged. It touches on almost every aspect of nutritional science. And this includes overlap between other medical fields.
It’s among the best pediatric nutrition course online for continuing education. And for people with that background it might rise to primary consideration.
Website: ContinuingEducation.com.
Certificate: No, but accredited with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
Exam: Yes.
Cost: $149 or $167 with textbook.
1. Child Nutrition and Cooking
This course puts a heavy emphasis on real world application. The course does have a wide level of applicability to anyone interested in pediatric nutrition. However, certain students can expect to get more out of it than others. And these are students who hope to use it within their own lives.
It takes a much broader view of pediatric nutrition than other courses. With one of the primary differences coming from sociological studies. The course doesn’t simply consider the physical ramifications of nutritional issues. It also considers social elements which give rise to different food choices.
As such it’s an ideal choice for people who expect a more hands on approach. This often includes people who want to improve their family’s diet. Or the diet of people close to them. But it’s also among the best choices for anyone working directly with children long term.
Website: Coursera.org.
Certificate: No.
Exam: Yes.
Cost: $49/month.
Summing Up
One can see that even the best of the best requires some additional consideration. In particular, people should consider courses with their educational background in mind. Different educational or professional backgrounds impact a course’s usefulness.
This is also why people should offer up their own experiences. Detailing one’s background and how it worked with a class can help others. And in doing so it also helps the children in that person’s life.
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