Nonnie Polderman’s career as a registered dietitian began as a diabetes educator in Abbotsford, British Columbia. However, when she accepted a position at BC Children’s Hospital over 20 years ago, her professional path took a new and deeply meaningful direction - helping support the nutritional needs of children living with kidney disease.
“Transitioning to pediatric nephrology was a huge learning curve,” she recalls. “But I am extremely grateful for the supportive environment within the division of nephrology at BC Children’s, where further education, publishing, and getting involved have always been very much encouraged.”
Children with kidney disease face a unique set of nutritional challenges, including reduced appetite, metabolic imbalances, and impaired nutrient absorption. These complications can hinder growth and, in severe cases, may affect a child’s eligibility for a kidney transplant. Pediatric renal dietitians like Polderman play a vital role in addressing these challenges — working closely with patients and their families to ensure optimal nutrient intake and to develop individualized strategies that support healthy growth and development.
While much of Polderman’s work is focused on direct patient care, she has also contributed to advancing the field through her involvement with the Pediatric Renal Nutrition Taskforce. The taskforce is an international collaboration of pediatric renal dietitians and pediatric nephrologists dedicated to developing clinical practice recommendations for the nutritional management of children with kidney diseases. To date, this group has published eleven guidelines and educational reviews. Polderman notes the guidelines were specifically developed to be broadly applicable and practical to implement.
“Our goal was to make the Pediatric Renal Nutrition Taskforce resources available to jurisdictions without specialty services or in facilities without specific programs for children with kidney disease,” she explains.
Reflecting on her experience, she adds, “It’s been incredibly rewarding to collaborate with a group that recognizes the importance of placing nutrition at the forefront of care for children with kidney disease.
“As dietitians, we’re focused on helping children achieve optimal nutrition, and it’s especially encouraging to work alongside care teams who share that same commitment and understand the impact nutrition has on outcomes,” she says.
Polderman adds she is very pleased many of the taskforce’s recommendations have already been integrated into practice at BC Children’s Hospital: “I think we can feel really proud of our practice at BC Children’s — we’re doing a thorough job of supporting these children from a nutrition standpoint.”
