Spotlight of the Month – @thechildrensdietitan
I am so happy to announce my spotlight of the month Lucy Upton. Lucy specialises in children’s nutrition. Lucy owns her own private practice and feeding clinic as a Children’s Dietitian. I love seeing the work that Lucy does with parents to help them navigate their way through their children’s allergies. Having support and advice like this is so important
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what your involvement is in the allergy community?
Hello! I’m a specialist Children’s Dietitian, and I have had the privilege of working with children with food allergies and their families for over 12 years in the NHS and now within my private practice and feeding clinic. During lockdown, I started my Instagram page to provide advice and support for parents, including those with food allergies, as there were long waiting times and a frustrating lack of information or support for parents. The rest is history: I have nearly 70k followers across three social platforms and regularly provide food allergy advice there, alongside working with huge allergy advocates and organisations like Dr Helen Allergy, The Allergy Team and The Allergy and Free from Show. I also have a huge amount of free resources on my website, including 2 allergy cookbooks (ebooks) and downloads to support allergy management.
What inspired you to become a children’s dietitian and helping children with food allergies?
As soon as I qualified out of university, I knew I wanted to pave a career in children’s nutrition and dietetics, and I was fortunate to be entrusted with a Paediatric job from day one. Whilst I’ve covered a vast range of specialities in my career so far, food allergy has been a passion and a constant for me. I think because management is so reliant on dietary support, and I really focus with families on being able to support what children with allergies CAN eat, not just what they can’t. I also see in the clinic weekly the stress, anxiety and guilt parents manage when it comes to their child’s food allergy, around mealtimes, weaning and more – I love that I can help ease this stress for parents and help them happy mealtimes, and confident feeding practices, regardless of food allergies.
What advice would you give parents whose children’s have first been diagnosed with food allergies?
The first thing I want to say loud and clear is, “It’s not your fault.” I speak with many parents at this initial stage, and I hear common themes, words, and worries of blame. Food allergies are never a parent’s fault. The next piece of advice would be to ask for support from a dietitian—that’s what we are here for. You do not need to navigate weaning, milk alternatives, nutrients, food labels, and more on your own! You are not alone.
What would you recommend to parents to do when starting to wean their children and how to spot any intolerances or allergies?
I could write you several blogs on this, so there would be a few key points to start with. The first would be that whilst it’s understandable to feel nervous, don’t delay broadening your baby’s diet and introducing other common food allergens. Good science now shows us that both help with allergy prevention, and I, unfortunately, see too many parents who’ve gone unsupported and are petrified of offering their baby different foods, or completely unsure what to do – again a Dietitian here is great! I also always reassure families that very severe allergic reactions during weaning are VERY rare.
When it comes to identifying food allergies or intolerances, I suggest that taking some time to understand the symptoms is a good first step. Symptoms of immediate food allergies, for instance, tend to appear very quickly after a baby has consumed the food (usually within minutes) and may include hives, vomiting, and swelling. Delayed food allergies can be more difficult to detect, as symptoms may manifest across 2-72 hours and include worsening or difficult-to-manage eczema, changes in stools, or tummy pain. Keeping a food and symptom diary can be incredibly useful (and we professionals really appreciate them) – I also offer a free one on my website!
What would you recommend to parents to do when starting to wean their children and how to spot any intolerances or allergies?
My Instagram DMs are always open, and I run a free Q&A session on my stories (@childrensdietitian) every Sunday. You can also head to my website www.thechildrensdietitian.co.uk to look at my free resources, or send an enquiry for a private appointment.
