The Front Line

Neonatal nutrition program

by Diane Anderson, PhD, RD, CSP

Over a 14-year period, the Neonatal Nutrition Service for the Section of Neonatology at Baylor College of Medicine has grown exponentially as the size of the nurseries at Texas Children's Hospital and Ben Taub General Hospital has expanded and the patient population has become more complex. The Nutrition Service began with one nutritionist at Texas Children's and now four nutritionists provide education services at Texas Children's and at Ben Taub. As active members of the multidisciplinary neonatal teams, nutritional support is optimized during nursery rounds.

The Baylor College of Medicine Neonatal Nutrition Service comprises (l-r) Cathy E. Montgomery, RD, LD, CSP, graduate of University of Texas at Austin, Amy C. Hansen, RD, graduate of University of Chicago, Megan Russek, MS, RD, LD, graduate of Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, and Dr. Diane Anderson, graduate of Case Western Reserve University. The team is supported by Deena Victor, MS, Neonatal Nutrition Technician, Dr. Steven A. Abrams, M.D., Medical Director, and Myrthala Miranda-Guzman, Administrative Assistant.

Our nutritionists play a strong educational role for physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals that complete the clinical teams. The Nutrition Service is further enhanced through collaborative relationships with the Bureau of Nutrition Services of the Texas Department of Health and the Children's Nutrition Research Center—the largest federally funded children's nutrition research center in the country, which is operated by Baylor College of Medicine in cooperation with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service and Texas Children's Hospital.

Before joining the Baylor Neonatal Nutrition Service, all members had prior work experience in a NICU. Three completed the three-month Neonatal Nutrition Fellowship Program (funded by Federal Maternal and Child Health) either at Baylor or at The Medical University of South Carolina headed by Dr. Diane Anderson, PhD, RD, LD. This program is unique in the U.S.—it provides three solid months of focused training in the very specialized area of neonatal nutrition. And today’s complex neonatal treatment demands that the critical aspect of neonatal nutrition be at the forefront of care. Our nutrition specialists are an integral part of that care for the patient populations we serve.