14/05/2026
Vandag het ons Hemelvaartdag saam gevier en die maatjies meer vertel van hierdie spesiale dag en wat dit beteken. ✨
Ons het gesels oor Jesus wat teruggegaan het hemel toe en dat Hy altyd by ons is in ons harte. 💛🙏
09/05/2026
Liewe Tannie Noma 🌸
Baie geluk met jou verjaarsdag! Dankie vir al die liefde, geduld en omgee wat jy elke dag vir ons babas gee. Ons hoop jou dag is gevul met vreugde, bederf en baie glimlagte! 🎉💛
29/04/2026
🐶😮💨 That Barking Cough at Night? It Could Be CROUP
If your child suddenly wakes up at night with a harsh, barking cough…
almost like a seal or dog bark…
👉 Don’t ignore it.
It could be croup— a common but sometimes serious airway infection in young children.
🫁 What is croup?
Croup is a viral infection of the upper airway (voice box and windpipe).
👶 Most common in:
• Children under 4
• But can happen in older kids too
👉 Younger children are more affected because their airways are smaller, even a little swelling can make breathing difficult.
🦠 What causes it?
Usually caused by the parainfluenza virus
👉 The same viruses that can also cause chest infections
🌙 How it typically starts
• Child goes to bed fine 😴
• Wakes up suddenly between 11pm–2am
• With:
• A barking cough
• Noisy breathing when breathing in (stridor)
• Hoarse voice
• Sometimes fever
👉 Symptoms are often worse at night and better during the day
🚨 When to act FAST
If your child has:
• Noisy breathing when breathing in (stridor)
• Struggling to breathe
• Chest pulling in with breaths
• Looks anxious or distressed
👉 This is a medical emergency
➡️ Go to ER immediately
❄️ A strange but true tip
Some children improve on the way to hospital
👉 Cooler air can temporarily reduce airway swelling
BUT:
⚠️ This does NOT mean the problem is gone
📉 What happens over the next few days
Croup can move lower into the chest:
• Barking cough → becomes wetter
• May develop:
• Phlegmy cough
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath (especially in babies)
🏥 How it is treated
Treatment focuses on opening the airway:
• Cortisone (very effective)
• Inhalations
• Adrenaline (in more severe cases)
👉 Most children improve quickly with treatment
⚠️ Important
Other serious conditions can look like croup and must be excluded by a doctor.
Most children:
• Improve quickly
• May go home the next day
• Recover fully with treatment
💬 If your child has ever had that barking cough at night, you’ll never forget it.
Dr Willem Smit
Paediatrician
29/04/2026