| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Infant and Child Nutrition |
| Unit ID: | HEALM6306 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060303 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit is designed to provide infant and child nutrition knowledge and skill development for nurses, midwives, maternal and child health nurses, and other health professionals. Infant and child nutrition is an important component of public and primary health care, and can influence intergenerational health outcomes. In contemporary Australian health care, health practitioners from a wide range of disciplines engage with families with children from birth through childhood and therefore have the potential to play an integral role as advocates for optimal infant and child nutrition. The focus of this unit will be on consolidating competence and confidence in the provision of nutrition advice, education and support for families with children from birth through to six years of age. Students will develop comprehensive, advanced assessment and clinical practice skills. The role of the multidisciplinary health care providers as advocates for breastfeeding within the context of primary healthcare and public health policy will also be explored. This unit is underpinned by a philosophy of family-centred care, embedding in students a respect for the family as unique, self-determined and complex unit |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | |  | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Critically examine the role of health care practitioners in the promotion and support of breastfeeding |
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| K2. | Articulate an advanced philosophy of family-centred care, with respect for and protection of the mother and infant as a unique dyad, and the family as a self-determined, complex unit |
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| K3. | Demonstrate sound application of theoretical knowledge of nutrition thorough comprehensive infant and child nutritional assessments |
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| K4. | Evaluate the relationship between nutrition and the health status of infants and children |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Exhibit specialist communication skills to facilitate working in partnership with families and their infants/children, from a wide range of age groups and socio-economic, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds |
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| S2. | Conduct thorough feeding and nutritional assessments for infants and children up to 6 years of age |
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| S3. | Provide comprehensive and accessible feeding plans for families with infants/children experiencing complex feeding challenges |
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| S4. | Advocate for families, including their infants/children within the health care system. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply the primary health care and public health principles to an infant and child nutrition context |
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| A2. | Integrate contemporary research evidence in the development of care plans for infants, children, and families |
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| A3. | Identify variations of normal and provide referral to other health disciplines or community support providers as appropriate |
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| Unit Content: |
The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBCLE) International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) Detailed Content Outline (2016); WHO/UNICEF Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (2006); WHO/UNICEF Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (2009); WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (1981); Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy: 2019 and Beyond (2019); 2010 Australian National Infant Feeding Survey (2010); NHMRC Infant Feeding Guidelines: Information for health workers (2012); ANMAC Midwife Accreditation Standards (2021); NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice (2018); NMBA Code of Conduct for the Midwife (2018), Code of Ethics for the Midwife (2014), NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice (2016); NMBA Code of Conduct for nurses (2018), Code of Ethics for nurses (2012) and Maternal and Child Health Service Standards (2010) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit. Global perspectives of breastfeeding and nutrition Early breastfeeding considerations Breastfeeding throughout infancy and childhood Common Breastfeeding Difficulties Breast milk substitutes Developmental perspectives of nutrition Nutrition for the infant and child Complex feeding issues Contemporary issues in nutrition Health professional's role in nutrition |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K3, K4, S2, S3, A2 | Theoretical concepts, knowledge and skills required to partner with families to provide evidence based information and assessment/management regarding infant and child nutrition. | Online activities | 40-60% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2, S4, A1, A2, A3 | Application of theoretical concepts to an infant or child feeding issue | Oral presentation | 40-60% |
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