Course
Paediatric Nutrition: From Preconception to Adolescence
- 7 September – 8 November
- 32 accredited CPD study hours
- 8 weeks to complete
- Online
Develop advanced foundational knowledge and clinical skills in paediatric nutrition that inform personalised and safe management of childhood health presentations.
Why Enrol in this Course?
Deepen your Expertise: enhance and advance your knowledge in a specialist subject area to benefit your practice and business.
Online Learning: a 100% online learning format that is mobile and desktop friendly, flexible and self-paced.
Multimedia: video, live sessions, downloadable course materials including notes and documents.
Engaging Education: progress tracking and quizzes to test knowledge.
Peer-to-Peer Community: be part of a cohort and connect and learn from each other in our members forum.
Accredited Professional Development: 32 hours of accredited hours continuing professional development (CPD) points. Professional certificate of completion.
What’s Included
- On-Demand Video Lectures
- Downloadable Presentation Notes
- Live Educator Q&A Sessions
- Online Clinical Community Forum
- Certificate of Completion
Who is this Course For?
This course is for health professionals who practice clinical nutrition and want to deepen or enhance their knowledge related to the clinical practice of paediatric nutrition. Relevant health providers typically include MD, ND, DC, Nutritional Therapy, Nutritionists, and Dieticians. The course is intended for health professionals who have nutrition in their legal scope of practice and have a strong background in personalised medical nutrition therapy and biochemistry.
What are the Learning Requirements?
This comprehensive 16 module course runs over 8 weeks. Each module is a
minimum of 2 hours of pre-recorded lectures, which are broken down into shorter, 30–40-minute lectures, providing practitioners with all the information and support they need to confidently practise paediatric nutrition, from pre-conception through to late adolescence.
Course Overview
This practitioner-level course provides a comprehensive and evidence-informed foundation in paediatric nutrition, supporting children from preconception through to late adolescence. Delivered over 16 modules, the programme explores the nutritional, gastrointestinal, immune, neurological, metabolic and developmental factors that influence child health, with a strong focus on clinical application and systems-based practice.
The course integrates current research, clinical experience and case-based learning to help practitioners develop confidence in assessing and supporting a wide range of paediatric presentations, including feeding challenges, gut dysfunction, immune dysregulation, neurodiversity, mental health, metabolic conditions and hormone-related concerns. Participants will also explore safe supplementation, testing interpretation, safeguarding, referral pathways and professional practice considerations within paediatric care.
Designed for qualified practitioners, the course combines pre-recorded lectures, live teaching sessions, interactive discussion groups and clinical case studies to support the integration of knowledge into real-world practice. Emphasis is placed on safe, evidence-informed and individualised care, while encouraging practitioners to develop strong clinical reasoning skills and work confidently within professional scope of practice.
Learning Objectives
- Develop confidence in applying evidence-informed nutritional therapy within paediatric clinical practice.
- Strengthen clinical reasoning skills when assessing complex and multifactorial child health presentations.
- Interpret the interaction between nutrition, physiology, development, environment and lifestyle in child health outcomes.
- Build practitioner confidence in supporting children across different developmental stages, from infancy through to adolescence.
- Evaluate how gastrointestinal, immune, neurological, metabolic and hormonal systems influence paediatric health and wellbeing.
- Apply systems-based and individualised approaches when developing nutritional and lifestyle recommendations for children.
- Recognise red flags, safeguarding concerns and situations requiring referral or multidisciplinary support.
- Develop safe and appropriate clinical decision-making skills within professional scope of practice.
- Strengthen understanding of evidence-informed supplementation and testing considerations in paediatric practice.
- Improve the ability to interpret case histories, identify clinical priorities and develop structured support plans.
- Enhance practitioner communication skills when working with children, adolescents and families in clinical settings.
- Integrate current research, clinical frameworks and practical application into everyday paediatric nutrition practice.
We are an International Organisational Member of the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM).
Learn more
Curriculum
Module 1
Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy
Lecture 1: Preconception & female fertility
Lecture 2: Male fertility & epigenetic programming
Lecture 3: Pregnancy physiology & nutritional requirements
Lecture 4: The maternal & infant microbiome
Lecturer – Jessica Oldfield
Module 2
Childbirth to the first 6 months
Lecture 1: Infant nutrition and early developmental foundations
Lecture 2: Birth events and early microbial colonisation
Lecture 3: Breastfeeding and formula feeding
Lecture 4: The newborn gut, microbiome and immune development
Lecturer – Jessica Oldfield
Module 3
The first two years
Lecture 1: Weaning and complementary feeding
Lecture 2: Early years diet and nutrient requirements
Lecture 3: Immune development and the gut–immune link
Lecture 4: The gut–brain axis and early neurodevelopment
Lecturer – Dr Kirstie Lawton
Module 4
Gut health
Lecture 1: Constipation in children
Lecture 2: Diarrhoea in children
Lecture 3: Optimising gut health: physiology, microbiome and digestion
Lecture 4: Common gastrointestinal presentations in paediatric practice
Lecturer – Clare Young
Module 5
Immune regulation and atopy
Lecture 1: Allergy, intolerance and immune responses to food
Lecture 2: Asthma and lung health in children
Lecture 3: Eczema and skin health
Lecture 4: Rebalancing immune function in paediatric practice
Lecturer – Dr Kirstie Lawton
Module 6
Infections, viruses and immunity
Lecture 1: The common cold and ear infections
Lecture 2: Respiratory, gastrointestinal and vesicular viral illnesses
Lecture 3: Persistent viruses and post-viral fatigue (EBV, HSV, HPV, COVID)
Lecture 4: Supporting children through vaccination
Lecturer – Dr Kirstie Lawton
Module 7
Autoimmunity, coeliac disease and NCGS
Lecture 1: Autoimmunity: mechanisms, drivers and genetics
Lecture 2: Autoimmune conditions in children
Lecture 3: Coeliac disease
Lecture 4: Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity
Lecturer – Robyn Puglia
Module 8
Eating challenges
Lecture 1: Understanding typical selective eating patterns & feeding dynamics
Lecture 2: Biological, sensory & environmental drivers of selective eating
Lecture 3: Practical strategies
Lecture 4: ARFID
Lecturer – Jessica Oldfield
Module 9
Identifying and referring disordered eating
Lecture 1: Anorexia nervosa
Lecture 2: Bulimia nervosa
Lecture 3: Other eating disorders
Lecture 4: Referrals and safeguarding
Lecturer – Emma Hendricks
Module 10
Mental health
Lecture 1: Anxiety and depression
Lecture 2: Mental illness in children and adolescents
Lecture 3: Stress regulation: breathwork, meditation and exercise
Lecture 4: Screen time and sleep
Lecturer – Dr Kirstie Lawton
Module 11
Brain health, neurodiversity & neuroimmune disorders
Lecture 1: Brain health
Lecture 2: Neurodiversity
Lecture 3: Neurodiversity support
Lecture 4: PANS/PANDAS
Lecturer – Jessica Oldfield
Module 12
Metabolic health
Lecture 1: Overweight and obesity trends and classification
Lecture 2: Causes and consequences of obesity
Lecture 3: Treatment and prevention options
Lecture 4: Comorbidities of obesity
Lecturer – Deborah Allen
Module 13
Hormonal health
Lecture 1: Female hormone physiology, puberty and the menstrual cycle
Lecture 2: Pubertal variations andhormone-related disorders
Lecture 3: Common hormonal conditions in adolescents
Lecture 4: Nutritional strategies to support hormonal health
Lecturer – Nicola Moore
Module 14
Supplements in Practice
Lecture 1: Paediatric supplements: efficacy and safety (Part 1)
Lecture 2: Paediatric supplements: efficacy and safety (Part 2)
Lecture 3: Paediatric supplements: efficacy and safety (Part 3)
Lecture 4: Paediatric supplements: efficacy and safety (Part 4)
Lecturer – Debbie Grayson
Module 15
Testing in paediatric practice
Lecture 1: Standard testing considerations
Lecture 2: Standard testing interpretation
Lecture 3: Functional testing considerations in children
Lecture 4: Functional testing considerations
Lecturers – Kate Knowler & Kerry Fugard
Module 16
Working with children (BANT/NICE/UK guidelines)
Lecture 1: Working with children under 16
Lecture 2: Working with children aged 16–18
Lecture 3: Working with LGBTQ+, Low Socioeconomic status, language barriers and other considerations
Lecture 4: Legal considerations, safety and safeguarding
Lecturers – Dr Kirstie Lawton & Jessica Oldfield
Meet the Expert Lecturers
Our lecturers bring years of experience and expertise to the area of paediatric nutrition, providing foundational knowledge, advances in the subject, clinical insights and learning that will help you apply what you learn in practice with your clients.
Enrolment
NMI Member Benefit:
NMI members receive 10% off the course price, automatically applied at checkout.
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Course Cost
- Included:
Video lectures, live session, clinical case studies and discussion groups, accredited continuing professional development (CPD) points, certificate of completion.