Paediatric Dietitian at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
About Lynne
Lynne Latten is a dedicated Paediatric Dietitian at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, and a recent graduate of the NHS R&D North West Integrated Clinical Academic Internship Programme (2023–24). As an active member of the clinical research community, Lynne is known for her expertise in the nutritional support of critically ill children and her contributions to evidence-based practice in paediatric dietetics.
Full Name: Lynne Latten
Current Role: Paediatric Dietitian
Organisation: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool
Email: lynne.latten@alderhey.nhs.uk
Research Topic: Safety, tolerance, and outcomes of enteral feeding in critically ill children
NHS R&D Programme: Integrated Clinical Academic Internship Programme
Year of Cohort: 2023-24
Achievements and Research Impact
- Lynne’s leadership in paediatric dietetics has led to two posters being accepted for presentation at a major European congress, sharing key insights with an international audience.
- Appointed as an expert advisor to the WHO/UNICEF working group on the nutritional needs of critically ill children, Lynne is influencing global standards in paediatric nutrition.
- Lynne recently published a notable retrospective cohort study:
“Association between enteral feeding and gastrointestinal complications in children receiving extracorporeal life support: A retrospective cohort study”, published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (Read Full Article). - Her research showed that most children tolerated enteral feeding within 24 hours of extracorporeal life support initiation, with gastrointestinal complications being predominantly mild feed intolerance—often associated with formula feeding rather than maternal milk.
Association between enteral feeding and gastrointestinal complications in children receiving extracorporeal life support: A retrospective cohort study
Lyvonne N. Tume RN, PhD, Gail Beech MBChB, MRCPCH, Chi Tse MbCHB, MRCPCH, Shirley Nolan RN, BSc, Alison Brady RN, Yetunde Odutolu MbCHB, MRCPCH, Lynne Latten RD, BSc
Abstract:
Background: Extracorporeal life support is an accepted treatment modality for children with severe cardiac and/or respiratory dysfunction. However, after a period of inadequate gut perfusion, clinicians are often reluctant to initiate enteral nutrition.
Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study in a single large pediatric intensive care unit in North West England over 5.5 years (2017–2022). Results: One hundred fifty‐six children, who had a median age of 2 months (IQR, 0.3–15) and a mean weight‐for‐age z score of –1.50 (SD, 1.7), were included. Indications for extracorporeal life support were respiratory failure (31%), cardiac arrest (28%), low cardiac output state (27%), and inability to separate from cardiopulmonary bypass (12%). Most (75%) children were fed during extracorporeal life support, with a median time to initiate feeding of 24 h (IQR, 12.2–42.7). More gastrointestinal complications were associated with being enterally fed (86% vs 14%; P < 0.001), but complications were predominantly feed intolerance (46%), which was associated with receiving formula feeds rather than maternal (breast) milk (P < 0.001). Overall, the proportion of children’s median energy targets achieved by 72 h was 38% (IQR, 10.7%−76%), but this varied by support indication.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest most children tolerated enteral feeding within 24 h after extracorporeal life support initiation, with only mild gastrointestinal complications.
Reflections on the NHS R&D NW Programme
Lynne credits the Internship Programme for building her confidence as a clinical academic. She values the programme’s holistic emphasis on personal development—“not just achieving a goal”—and highlights its role in fostering growth that extends beyond research outputs.
Professional Goals
Lynne is undertaking a non-medical prescribing module, aiming to integrate these skills into her clinical practice and pursue research on the impact of non-medical prescribing by dietitians in critical care settings.
She is committed to advancing excellence in paediatric nutrition and mentoring future generations of clinical academic dietitians.
Congratulations, Lynne, on your achievements and your commitment to advancing nutritional care for critically ill children!
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