11 October 2012

Dietitian Wins Nutrition Award to Become Breast Feeding Expert

A dietitian from North Shore Hospital has won a prestigious nutrition award to support her career ambition to be the first New Zealand dietitian specialising in breast feeding.

Sarah-Jane Westbrooke became a New Zealand Registered Dietitian in 2009 and currently works as a Paediatric Dietitian at North Shore Hospital, where her main professional interest area is neonatal and infant nutrition. She will use the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation and Kellogg New Zealand 2012 Nutritionist Development Award for the training needed to become a New Zealand dietitian with specialist knowledge in breastfeeding. In the longer term Sarah-Jane aims to become the first New Zealand Registered Dietitian and Lactation Consultant.

A Rotary Group Study Exchange to Alaska/Yukon earlier this year fuelled her ambition. Sarah-Jane saw dietitians there working closely with the maternity and child health sector to promote optimum nutrition from pre-conception, through pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood. I came back inspired, Sarah-Jane says. I saw how dietitians with specialist knowledge in lactation can improve the health services provided to mothers and babies. I want to do the same in New Zealand.

Sue Pollard, CEO of the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation, says the Foundation is pleased to be able to give the award this year in line with the New Zealand Health Workforce Strategy of improving the efficacy and efficiency of health services provided to mothers and babies in New Zealand. This is an investment in the future health of our population, she says.

Julian Ng, Marketing Manager, Kellogg New Zealand says this award helps to recognise and support the outstanding local talent starting out on their career in nutrition. Sarah-Jane is clearly a highly talented and dedicated dietitian. Kelloggs is delighted to be supporting her proposed learning and innovative approaches in the field of nutrition to help further impact the well-being of New Zealanders, says Ng.

Kelloggs has been a long term supporter of the Nutritionist Development Award, which was first established in 1995 to promote professional development for those in New Zealand working in the field of nutrition.

About Kelloggs

Kelloggs is a leading producer of breakfast cereals and a leading producer of grainbased snack foods. Kelloggs cereal has been part of Kiwi breakfasts since 1929 and has established a strong presence with brands like Nutri-Grain, Coco Pops, Sultana Bran, Special K, Just Right, Corn Flakes and Rice Bubbles to name a few.

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Dietitian Wins Nutrition Award to be Breast Feeding Expert