Children’s health | Children’s health | | <img alt="" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/PublishingImages/ecd-centres-listing.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | <div class="ExternalClass5E3ADBAECAC945228FCF6920D5A08E61"><p>Keeping our children healthy – that is, well-nourished and protected from serious illnesses – is one of the best things we can do to give them a good start in life.</p>
</div> | <h2 class="sectHeading">Health screening tests</h2><p>Most <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Clinics%20and%20healthcare%20facilities">City clinics and healthcare facilities</a> treat childhood illnesses and offer nutritional support and advice, and some also offer basic antenatal services.</p><h4>We encourage all new mothers to visit our primary healthcare clinics so we can:</h4><ul><li>vaccinate your child;</li><li>monitor their growth and development; and</li><li>pick up any problems early on in your child’s life, such as malnutrition, and help you deal with them.</li></ul><p>We also do routine screening tests. We check that your child is growing and developing by reaching
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Family-care-and-support/Caring-for-your-child/Developing-your-child%e2%80%99s-full-potential">the correct milestones for their age group</a> such as sitting, standing, crawling, walking, talking, and holding objects. We’ll also check their vision and hearing. If we find a problem that we cannot deal with at our clinic, we’ll refer your child to a specialist, such as an occupational therapist.</p><div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border">
<i class="info note"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>ROAD TO HEALTH BOOKLET</h4><p>The WC Government issues every baby born in a private or state hospital with a Road To Health booklet (RTHB). Mothers bring the booklet with them whenever they visit a clinic and doctors and nurses use the booklet to list vaccinations and immunisations, and to check that their baby is developing at the correct rate. The RTHB is also available as a
<a href="https://sidebyside.co.za/resources/mobile-app/" target="_blank">digital application for smartphones<i class="icon link-external"></i></a>. </p></div></div><p>At our clinics we record vaccinations and test results on your child’s Road to health booklet (RTHB). This way, we can track their development over time, making sure they’re growing healthily. </p><h4>When you visit a clinic, remember to bring: </h4><ul><li>your child’s RTHB, </li><li>your ID, </li><li>your child's birth certificate, </li><li>referral letters, and </li><li>any medication your child is taking – both prescribed medication or medication bought over the counter.</li></ul><p></p>
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<i class="info note"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Please note</h4><p>
If you do not have the documents, you can still visit the clinic and your child will be vaccinated.</p></div></div></span>
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<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Clinics%20and%20healthcare%20facilities">Find your nearest City clinic</a>.</p><h2 class="sectHeading">Vaccinations<br></h2><p>Vaccinations protect our children against serious infections such as poliomyelitis, measles, hepatitis, whooping cough, meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria, pneumonia, tuberculosis, measles, and the rotavirus which causes diarrhoea. The rotavirus used to be common in Cape Town but rarely occurs now because of immunisation. </p><div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border">
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<br></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Remember</h4><p>Always take your child’s Road to Health booklet<i class="icon link-external"></i> with you to the clinic. If you’ve lost it, please come anyway and we’ll issue a new one.</p></div></div><p>Find out more about the most
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Family-care-and-support/Caring-for-your-child/Common-childhood-illnesses">common childhood illnesses</a>.</p><p>Your child will have their first vaccinations when they’re new-borns. They will have more at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks, 9 months, 18 months, 6 years, and 12 years. Vaccinations can be done throughout the year at any of our
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Clinics%20and%20healthcare%20facilities">City clinics</a> – free of charge. </p><p>If you notice any missed doses in your child's Road to Health booklet, visit your nearest City Health clinic for catch-up vaccinations. Children who are not up to date with the vaccination schedule, can still get the vaccinations.</p><p>View the current
<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures%2c%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/Immunisation_schedule.pdf" target="_blank">immunisation schedule</a> and read the<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Procedures%2c%20guidelines%20and%20regulations/Immunisation_FAQs.pdf" target="_blank"> Immunisation FAQs</a> for more information..</p><div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border">
<i class="info toptip"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Top tip</h4><p>It’s common for children to get a temperature after a vaccination (>38C). If they do, give them paracetamol syrup, according to their age, to bring down their temperature. If their temperature persists for more than 48 hours, let your clinic know immediately.</p></div></div><h2 class="sectHeading">Keeping children healthy </h2><p>There are things you can do at home to strengthen your child’s immune system so they’re better able to fight common childhood illnesses such as malnutrition and diarrhoea. Children need a balanced, nutritious diet to grow into healthy adults. A healthy diet helps strengthen your child’s immune system, and a healthy immune system makes it easier to fight infections.</p><div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border">
<i class="info note"> <br></i></div><div class="desc"><h4>Please note</h4><p>Mothers who are HIV positive can find advice on breastfeeding at their
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Clinics%20and%20healthcare%20facilities">local clinic</a>.</p></div></div><h4>Good hygiene helps prevent the spread of germs:</h4><ul><li>Wash utensils as well as hands before eating – research has shown that hand washing is one of the most effective ways to prevent diarrhoea from spreading.</li><li>Wash children’s bottles, bowls and spoons, and teats before feeding them.</li></ul><h4>Stay up to date with your child’s vaccinations:</h4><ul><li>Keeping up with their vaccinations will help to protect them from illnesses and prevent malnutrition.</li><li>TB is contagious and can be spread by coughing or sneezing – cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.</li><li>If you’re ill, spit or sneeze into a tissue and throw the tissue away.</li></ul><h2 class="sectHeading">Find a clinic</h2><p>Our City clinics offer free primary healthcare to residents. Please visit our
<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/See-all-City-facilities/Our-service-facilities/Clinics%20and%20healthcare%20facilities">clinics page</a> to find a clinic near you. The Western Cape Government runs a number of primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities too. Please consult the full list of
<a href="https://www.westerncape.gov.za/dept/health/facilities" target="_blank">provincial health facilities<i class="icon link-external"></i></a> on their website.</p><h2 class="sectHeading">Healthcare terms</h2>
<ul><li>
<b>Allergen:</b> Something that causes an allergic reaction</li><li>
<strong>Antenatal</strong>: Relating to pregnancy</li><li>
<strong>Dehydrated</strong>: Not having enough water in your body</li><li>
<strong>Hydrated</strong>: Have drunk enough fluids, especially water</li><li>
<strong>Immune System</strong>: The process of the body that fights infections and illnesses</li><li>
<strong>Immunisation</strong>: Where a person is made resistant to an infectious disease – usually given by injection</li><li>
<strong>Malnutrition</strong>: Lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough healthy food to eat</li><li>
<strong>Medication</strong>: Medicine used to treat disease</li><li>
<strong>Nutrition</strong>: The process of taking in the right food needed for health and growth</li><li>
<strong>Occupational therapy</strong>: The use of certain activities to help someone recover from an illness </li><li>
<strong>Paracetamol</strong>: A medicine used to relieve fever</li><li>
<strong>Sanitation</strong>: Related to cleanliness and public health, especially clean drinking water and sewerage disposal</li><li>
<strong>Well-nourished</strong>: Provided with enough food to be healthy</li><li>
<strong>Vaccination</strong>: Where a person’s immune system is made stronger to protect them against infection or disease </li></ul> | | GP0|#0fcdf38e-32cf-4d9a-878e-605e71ac827f;L0|#00fcdf38e-32cf-4d9a-878e-605e71ac827f|Children's health;GTSet|#ef3a64a2-d764-44bc-9d69-3a63d3fadea1;GPP|#e191a0d6-26c0-4f61-a521-0a26adc8ad68;GPP|#063a6668-d6cb-4c45-adaf-f559697b85fd;GPP|#245ec7aa-a528-4cd3-bcac-597c292db711 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | How to keep your child in good health and where to find medical help if you need it. | 0 |