Dr. Rosemarie Watson:

Yes, that is one part of it but there are also huge calorific needs for people with EB because they are wound healing and that is extra work that the body has to do. They need to have a big increase in calories but, at the same time, they have blisters in their mouths and throats so they cannot eat certain foods. They cannot eat anything that will aggravate that blistering.

They need a lot of protein in their diet because they are making protein to heal their wounds. The dietician is there to increase the calorie intake for these children and adults, and they take in a lot more than the Cathaoirleach or I would. They sometimes cannot take in enough calories through their mouth and we offer them feeding tubes to get the extra calories in. It is complex and it needs a specialist dietician.