Specialist Paediatric Dietitian Services & Information
Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be governed by an ethical code, to ensure that they always work to the highest standard.
I am registered with the Health Professions Council in South Africa as well as the South African Dietetics Associations.
This registration is your assurance that I am appropriately qualified, maintain my knowledge and skills to utmost standards and practice within a strict professional code of conduct.
Please read through the tabs below to learn more about me, my services and experience.
About Claire McHugh
Claire McHugh is a dedicated health professional with over 20 years of experience as a Dietitian. Claire has worked in tertiary hospitals in the UK and then in private practice on the North Coast of KZN since 2009.
She furthered her studies whilst in the UK and is also a qualified lactation consultant.
She uses her calm, caring nature to build trusted relationships with her clients as she navigates their individual nutrition and health needs.
Although Claire has a love for children and their feeding, and has specialised in infant and paediatric nutrition, she works with many adult nutrition issues too.
‘I believe its about nourishing the whole family! A healthy parent can be a great role model and teach lifelong positive eating behaviours to their children’.
Claire loves educating and enlightening people on how simple changes can have a great impact on their health. As a wife and mum she understands that her advice needs to be both practical and easy to implement and maintain in the home environment.
Since qualifying, Claire has gained extensive out patient and hospital experience in the areas of infant, child and pregnancy nutrition, gut complaints, allergies, eating disorders, tube feeding, and genetics.
She also prides herself in continued learning and development; engaging in ongoing training and learning activities to keep her advice up to date and relevant.
‘There is great joy in walking a rocky road, step-by-step with a patient and seeing them thrive and come out victorious on the other end. No road needs to be navigated alone’.
‘I believe its about nourishing the whole family! A healthy parent can be a great role model and teach lifelong positive eating behaviours to their children’.
1. Lacation Consults
Breastfeeding support can be provided at home in the Ballito/Salt Rock area or at the consultation rooms.
Individualised sessions cover topics like positioning and latch, feed frequency, maternal diet and trouble shooting any specific concerns.
2. Paediatric Nutrition Consults
Detailed nutrition assessments, education and plans to assist with all types of feeding and growth concerns or health conditions.
3. Family Health
Whole family focused nutrition assessments, education and meal plans. Assisting the entire family to be well nourished and have good relationships with food.
I have extensive experience advising on dietary conditions including:
- Neonatal nutrition, Breastfeeding and weaning
- Behavioural feeding difficulties, ADHD, Weight management in failure to thrive and childhood obesity
- Food allergies, Gastrointestinal disorders
- Tube feeding
- Nutritional management of disease; Diabetes, Cancer, HIV
- Comments for press releases
- TV & radio interviews
- Face-face briefings
- Development of diet plans & programmes
Journalism & Writing:
- Articles for consumer & professional publications, websites
- Writing of resources - consumer leaflets, diet plans, websites
- Diet plans - writing and/or evaluation
The ‘healthy plate-healthy me’ concept is a tool to encourage children to eat more healthily and make healthy eating fun. It also guides parents and reminds them to offer balanced, correctly proportioned meals.
It consists of a brightly coloured, animated melamine plate with a child friendly version of the plate model on it. The plate is accompanied by a sturdy hard-page book. The story describes each food group and how each group benefits the body. It is written in a rhyming child-friendly format with colourful illustrations.
Contact me to purchase this product.