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Paediatrics

Birth to 18 years old

"Gain confidence, reassurance and joy in feeding your infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents"

Dr Bujtor is passionate about the importance and impact of nutrition in the developmental years.

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As parents, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, it is important we understand the vital role that adequate and appropriate nutrition plays in the growth, development, and overall well-being of individuals from early childhood (birth to age 5), through middle childhood (ages 6 to 10), and adolescence (ages 11 to 18), collectively known as the "developmental years".​

Nutrition is crucial in the developmental years. These years present an incredible opportunity to establish lifelong healthful dietary and lifestyle habits

Research has also shown us that behaviours and habits established in childhood and adolescence, including dietary intake habits, often continue to track into later life and commonly recur across the lifespan. Positive and negative experiences during the developmental years can have a cascading effect on all areas of development. 

However, feeding children in their developmental years can be a source of confusion and frustration for parents and caregivers.

 

With an abundance of often conflicting information and opinions available, its common for parents and caregivers to find themselves experiencing feelings of stress, anxiety, self-doubt and guilt, develop strained relationships with their children, and remain unsure of the right approach for themselves and their families.

Dr Bujtor can help...

Dr Bujtor provides guidance and support to empower parents and caregivers across a range of nutrition-related issues and opportunities to ensure they are providing optimal nutritional intake for their small charges across the developmental years. 

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As a parent herself, Dr Bujtor understands the challenges that can come with feeding children and adolescents and is passionate about helping parents and caregivers provide their families with the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

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Dr Bujtor is also a paediatric feeding specialist, specialising in paediatric feeding disorders and eating disorders. She is an SOS Therapist (Sequential-Oral-Sensory approach to feeding), and has extensive experience working with children and adolescents who have difficulty feeding and eating.

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Whether you have concerns about your child's picky eating habits, want to ensure they're getting all the necessary nutrients for their growth and development, need guidance on introducing solid foods, or are having to manage health-related issues such as food allergies or PCOS in adolescence, Dr Bujtor can assist.

Her collaborative, science-led and education-based approach, coupled with her warmth and empathy gives parents and caregivers the tools and support to navigate a wide range of paediatric nutrition issues.

A more in-depth insight

Learn more about these topics from Dr Bujtors perspective and how she can help you

Nutrition during childhood

Nutrition during childhood

Early childhood is the phase of life from birth to 5 years, while middle childhood is 6 to 10 years. These years represent a critical period of growth and development in a child's life, where they undergo profound physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes that play an important role in laying the foundation for their future health and well-being.
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​As such, these unique periods of the lifespan present a time of great opportunity and importance.
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Early experiences, including those of dietary intake, can significantly influence a child's physical and cognitive health, later academic successes, social relationships, and overall mental health and well-being.
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Ensuring adequate and appropriate nutrition during this period is crucial in supporting the rapid development experienced.

Nutrition guidance and support

Dr Bujtor provides guidance and support to empower parents and caregivers across a range of dietary issues that can present in early and middle childhood including:

  • Managing reflux

  • The transition to solid food 

  • Adequate and appropriate dietary intake at each stage of the lifespan

  • Growth and development concerns

  • Managing a food allergy diagnosis

  • ADHD dietary management

  • Assisting neurodiverse individuals with dietary management

  • Digestive issues (colic, constipation, diarrhoea, IBS)

  • Key nutrient deficiencies: Iron, vitamin D, calcium, fibre, folate, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E

  • Vegetarian or vegan diets for children

  • How to navigate food refusal, picky eating, and problem feeding

Nutrition during adolescence

Nutrition during adolescence

Adolescence is the phase of life between childhood and adulthood (ages 11 to 18). It is a unique stage of human development and represents a crucial and opportune time for further embedding the foundations of good health.

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This period of the lifespan is characterised by profound transitions, biologically, neurologically and socially, and frequently coincides with puberty, considered a defining transition period in adolescence in its own right. Rapid growth and maturation occurs and children attain an adult capacity for cognitive processes.

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Adequate and appropriate nutrition is essential to support this rapid and significant physical and mental growth and development. However, this is not always easy to achieve!

 

Adolescence is a period of increasing independence which is significantly impacted by environmental factors such as peer influence and exposure to media, as well as personal factors like changing belief systems and emotional needs.

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This is where the guidance and support of a qualified nutritionist can have a significant impact. Dr Bujtor helps families navigate these challenges, among others, providing personalized nutritional guidance and support to meet the unique needs and goals of each adolescent, and their families. 

Nutrition guidance and support

Dr Bujtor provides guidance and support to parents, caregivers and their teens to help them navigate a range of dietary issues that can present in adolescence including:

Through a collaborative, science-led and education-based approach, Dr Bujtor works with adolescents and their families to establish or re-establish healthy eating habits, understand their changing nutritional needs, and educate them on the importance of maintaining a balanced diet.

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  • Adequate and appropriate dietary intake for this stage of the lifespan

  • Overweight / underweight

  • Acne

  • Irregular periods

  • Addressing dieting concerns, and disordered eating

  • ADHD dietary management

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  • Assisting neurodiverse individuals with dietary management

  • Digestive issues (constipation, diarrhoea, IBS)

  • Iron deficiency, Anemia

  • PCOS and endometriosis

  • Key nutrient deficiencies: Vitamin D, calcium, fibre, folate, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, zinc

  • Vegetarian or vegan diets for adolescents

Therapy

Having a child or adolescent who is a fussy eater or refuses food entirely can be an overwhelming and emotional challenge for parents and caregivers. The struggle often extends beyond the dining table, raising concerns about whether your child is getting the essential nutrients needed to support their growth and development during these critical years.

Mealtimes can quickly turn into battlegrounds, straining relationships as caregivers find themselves in a constant tug-of-war with their children over food. Understanding whether your child is simply going though a phase of picky eating or if they are a problem feeder with deeper issues can be difficult. It is often hard to discern if their food refusal is just a shift in developing tastes, a normal developmental milestone or something more at play.

As children transition from childhood to adolescence, these feeding issues can take on new dimensions, affecting not only their physical health but also their emotional and psychological well-being The developmental stages of adolescence bring unique challenges as individuals begin to assert more independence and navigate social pressures, which can further complicate feeding difficulties.

Regardless, research consistently shows the importance of early intervention in addressing feeding and eating disorders, emphasizing that timely support can prevent long-term issues and promote healthier developmental outcomes.

Dr. Bujtor's specialized approach to feeding therapy recognizes these challenges and offers a tailored solution for both children and adolescents. Through a combination of various therapeutic techniques—such as the Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) approach, Family-Based Therapy, Oral-Motor Therapy, and Sensory Integration Therapy—Dr. Bujtor helps to create a positive, supportive environment where children can develop healthy eating habits and a stress-free relationship with food. Whether your child is struggling with sensory sensitivities, oral-motor difficulties, or behavioral challenges, Dr. Bujtor’s personalized care aims to address their unique needs and support their overall well-being.

To learn more about how Dr. Bujtor can help your child overcome feeding challenges and develop a healthy relationship with food, click here.

Food Therapy, Food Play
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