Twinkle Kidz Preschool

Arts & Crafts are still a firm favourite with our children!🌷🌷🌷

😴🦠 Why Your Child Gets More Sick When They’re Overtired

Parents often focus on vitamins, immune boosters and healthy eating…
But one of the biggest things affecting your child’s immune system is actually:

👉 SLEEP

When children are overtired, their bodies struggle to fight infections properly.

That’s why children who:
• Go to bed too late
• Skip naps
• Wake often at night
• Have busy, overstimulating schedules

👉 Often get sick more frequently and take longer to recover.

😴 What happens when kids don’t sleep enough?

Poor sleep can lead to:

• Weaker immune function
• More coughs & colds
• Increased inflammation
• Mood swings & meltdowns
• Difficulty concentrating
• Slower recovery from illness

🧠 A tired child’s body is stressed

Overtired children produce more stress hormones, which can affect:
• Immunity
• Appetite
• Behaviour
• Emotional regulation

Sometimes the “naughty” or emotional child is actually just… exhausted.

⏰ How much sleep do children actually need?

👶 Babies: 12–16 hours
🧒 Toddlers: 11–14 hours
👦 School kids: 9–11 hours

And yes… many children are getting far less than this.

💡 Signs your child may be overtired

• Hyperactive at night
• Emotional meltdowns
• Struggling to wake up
• Dark circles under eyes
• Constant illness
• Falling asleep in the car instantly

🤍 The good news?

Earlier bedtimes are one of the simplest ways to support your child’s:
✔ Immunity
✔ Behaviour
✔ Mood
✔ Overall health

Sometimes the best “immune booster” is not found in a bottle…
👉 It’s a good night’s sleep.

💬 What time does bedtime happen in your house? 😅

Dr Willem Smit
Paediatrician

😮‍💨❄️ BE AWARE !
BRONCHIOLITIS SEASON IS HERE!

If your baby has a runny nose that suddenly turns into a chesty cough and fast breathing…
👉 this could be bronchiolitis.

This is a very common winter illness, but in young babies, it can become VERY SERIOUS quickly.

🫁 What is bronchiolitis?

It’s a viral infection of the small airways in the lungs.

👶 Most common in:
• Babies
• Infants
• Children under 2

👉 The younger the baby, the higher the risk.

🦠 What causes it?

The most common cause is:
• RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)

But other viruses can also cause it.

👉 It spreads easily through:
• Coughing & sneezing
• Hands of caregivers

⚠️ If your child has symptoms, keep them home from crèche/daycare.

📈 How it usually starts

1️⃣ Starts like a normal cold
(runny/blocked nose)

2️⃣ After 3–5 days:
• Moves into the chest
• Wet, phlegmy cough
• Wheezing or rattling breathing
• Sometimes fever

🚨 When to worry and contact your paediatrician

Seek urgent care if your baby has:

• Fast or difficult breathing
• Chest pulling in when breathing
• Struggling to feed
• Vomiting feeds
• Very sleepy or weak
• Lips or tongue looking pale or blue

👉 These are signs your baby needs medical care urgently

🏥 Why some babies need hospital

In hospital, babies can receive:

• Oxygen
• IV fluids if not feeding
• Close monitoring
• Nebulisation treatments
• Support if breathing becomes difficult
• Physiotherapy

👉 Early treatment can prevent serious complications.

🛡️ Prevention tips

• Have ALL babies under one year vaccinated against the RSV during winter.
• Avoid crèche for babies under 6 months in winter if possible
• Wash hands regularly
• Keep sick contacts away
• Avoid smoke exposure

💡 There is a preventative injection for all babies. (Beyfortus for babies and Abrysvo for pregnant women between 28 and 36 weeks)
It could save your baby’s life!
Babies that are premature or have heart/lung conditions are at an extremely high risk of serious complications due to bronchiolitis

💊 Treatment

There is no single “cure”, but treatment focuses on:

• Reducing inflammation
• Helping breathing
• Clearing phlegm
• Preventing dehydration
• Treating secondary infections if present

Your baby may cough for weeks after bronchiolitis, this is common.

Some children may also have recurrent wheezing for a while after.

RSV bronchiolitis increases the risk of developing asthma and COPD ( Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) later in life

💬 Has your baby ever had bronchiolitis or perhaps have it now? Act fast before it gets worse

Dr Willem Smit
Paediatrician

💉 Protect your children and yourself against flu (Influenza) this winter!

- What Parents Should Know

We have been admitting children with Flu , including Swine Flu , since March which means early vaccination is strongly recommended this year like every other year.

👉 Ideally, children should receive their flu vaccine from March to early April
👉 Protection develops about 2 weeks after vaccination, so timing matters

👶 What age can children receive the flu vaccine?

✔️ From 6 months of age and older

* Children under 6 months cannot be vaccinated
* They rely on protection from vaccinated parents, siblings, and caregivers

⭐ Which children are high priority?

While we recommend vaccination for all children, it is especially important for:

✔️ Children under 5 years (highest risk under 2 years)
✔️ Premature babies and ex-NICU patients
✔️ Children with chronic conditions:

* Asthma or recurrent wheezing
* Congenital heart disease
* Diabetes
* Neurological conditions
* Chronic lung disease

✔️ Immunocompromised children

These children are at higher risk of:

* Severe flu illness
* Hospitalisation
* Complications like pneumonia

🤧 Why vaccinate your child?

Influenza in children can present more severely than expected.

The flu vaccine:
✔️ Reduces the risk of severe illness
✔️ Decreases hospital admissions
✔️ Helps protect vulnerable siblings and family members
✔️ Reduces school absenteeism and spread in the community

⏰ When should you book?

✔️ Best time: March – early April
✔️ Vaccination later in the season still offers protection

Flu season typically peaks during winter months (May–August), but early cases are already being seen.

💬 From a paediatric perspective

Prevention is always better than treatment, especially in young children where flu can escalate quickly.

Dr Willem Smit
Paediatrician