Nutrition in Childhood and Adolescence

Course content

The course provides principles of nutrition for pregnant and nursing women, infants, children and adolescents.

The students
- are familiar with the development from newborn to adolescent (with a focus on the development and function of the digestive tract)
- are familiar with growth curves, anthropometry, growth charts, percentiles and their application
- acquire knowledge of nutrition during pregnancy and for pregnancy disorders and complications
- acquire knowledge of nutrition for nursing mothers and special needs
- acquire knowledge of nutrition for healthy infants (national/international) and for special needs
- are familiar with the composition of breast milk, formula, animal milks, vegetarian milk types and can evaluate them from the perspective of nutrition physiology
- are familiar with special food types and their applications: hypoallergenic food, pre- and probiotics in formula
- are familiar with strategies of allergy prevention
- are familiar with alternative diets for infants and can evaluate them from the perspective of nutrition physiology
- are familiar with current recommendations concerning complementary food
- are familiar with the special nutrition requirements of premature infants
- are familiar with the current nutritional recommendations for pre-school and school-age children and adolescents
- are able to develop daily diet plans for pre-school and school-age children

Learning outcomes

The students acquire basic and advanced knowledge of nutritional science, special nutritional science, nutrition for children and adolescents as well as sports nutrition. The knowledge obtained provides the basis for practical work with healthy people in the social and individual context and also serves as a basis for nutritional therapy in disease treatment.

The students:
- are able to process nutritional information for individuals and groups of persons and provide nutritional advice within the scope of health promotion and prevention
- are able to take into account cultural and religious needs, lifestyles and values in nutritional advice
- are able to develop and implement nutrition plans for athletes
- are familiar with holistic approaches of nutrition science in the sense of a sustainable diet - are familiar with alternative diets, fasting methods and nutrition myths and are able to evaluate and discuss them scientifically
- are able to develop and apply nutrition plans for infants, healthy children and adolescents, including special requirements of these target groups
- are able to develop and apply nutrition plans for pregnant and nursing women

Recommended or required reading and other learning resources / tools

Books, journals and relevant current primary literature will be announced by the lecturers at the start of the course or are included in the relevant syllabus.

Mode of delivery

ILV

Prerequisites and co-requisites

M02, M03, M05, M07

Assessment methods and criteria

Written/oral