Pendleton Childrens Clinic

02/12/2025

CROUP: A QUICK GUIDE FOR PARENTS

That sudden barking cough in the middle of the night can be terrifying for any parent. 😟 Often, it’s croup – a common viral infection that causes swelling in the voice box and windpipe in young children, leading to a harsh cough and sometimes noisy breathing (stridor).

The good news?
👉 Most cases are mild and can be safely managed at home with calm reassurance, fluids, fever control and simple comfort measures.
👉 But it’s also important to know the red flag signs that mean your child needs urgent medical help.

Swipe through this carousel to learn:
✅ What croup is and why it happens
✅ How to care for your child at home
✅ When to go straight to the doctor or emergency room
If you’re ever worried about your child’s breathing, don’t wait—contact your Paediatrician or visit your nearest health facility.

📍 Pendleton Children’s Clinic – caring for children’s lungs, one little breath at a time.

30/11/2025

A huge THANK YOU to our incredibly hardworking nursing team for delivering a successful 2nd round of Child Health Week 2025 at Pendleton Children’s Clinic! 👏

This week, 305 children passed through our two branches — Northmead: 206 and Lilayi: 89 — and that impact is only possible because of the calm, consistent, and skilled care our nurses provide every single day.

A massive shoutout as well to the dedicated parents and caregivers who showed up for growth monitoring plus routine and catch-up vaccinations. Your commitment matters. Well-child checkups help us track growth and development early, spot concerns before they become bigger problems, and support nutrition and overall wellbeing. Vaccinations protect your child from serious preventable illnesses and also help protect other vulnerable children in our community.

To our nurses and our families: Thank you for showing up, working hard, and making this week a success. We are proud to serve you! 🌟

28/11/2025

🦠 Probiotics for Kids: What Parents Need to Know!

Did you know your child’s gut is home to trillions of tiny organisms — bacteria, yeasts, and fungi — all working together? This gut community (microbiota) starts forming at birth and is mostly settled by around 3–4 years of age.

With all the buzz about probiotics, it’s natural to wonder: ➡️ Should my child be taking them?

🧬 What are probiotics?
Probiotics are live, “good” microorganisms that, when taken in the right amounts, can provide health benefits to the person taking them.

For children, probiotics often come as:
🟣 Chewable tablets
🟢 Liquid drops
🔵 Flavourless powders you can mix into food or drinks

🧪 Not all probiotics are the same
When we talk about probiotics, we talk about strains – a bit like different breeds of dogs or cats 🐶🐱. Different probiotic strains can have different roles, for example, Lacticaseibacillus reuteri DSM 17938, which has been studied for its potential to:
🔹 Reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea
🔹 Support eczema prevention
🔹 Help with infant colic

But, many probiotic products on the market haven’t been specifically studied in children, so it’s always best to talk to your child’s healthcare provider before starting one. Probiotics aren’t just in supplements. Some everyday foods also contain probiotics, such as:
🥄 Certain yogurts
🥛 Kefir (a fermented milk drink)

Even if your child isn’t taking a probiotic supplement, they may still benefit from including probiotic-rich foods as part of a balanced diet.

🩺💬 If you’re curious about whether probiotics are right for your child, speak to your paediatrician — we are here to guide you through the options.

27/11/2025

To all our mummy’s, aunties, sisters, cousins and grandma’s, here is a great opportunity to stay fit! Join us at the Health and Wellness Centre Zambia in Lilayi for a ladies only yoga sessions starting 13.12.25!

- A state of the art facility opening soon at Sandy’s Creations Resort. Medical suites now for rent!

26/11/2025

What an amazing conference !

Last week, the Zambia Paediatric Association (ZPA) hosted its Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting at Sandy’s Creations in Lusaka, under the timely theme: “Sustaining Child Health Gains Through Innovation, Resilience and Local Action.”

From shifting paediatric health needs to emerging threats affecting our children, the discussions were both eye-opening and empowering. There was a strong focus on preventing and managing non-communicable conditions in children—such as cancers, kidney disease, eye conditions, constipation, and psychological trauma —and how we can strengthen care systems to respond better.

One of the standout highlights was the growing role of AI in paediatric healthcare, with practical examples of how technology is already being used to support earlier detection, smarter decision-making, and improved service delivery.

Our team from Pendleton Children’s Clinic was proud to attend—because spaces like these bring together passionate, like-minded professionals to share experiences, learn from new evidence, and keep up with both global and local best practice.

At the end of the day, it’s simple: when we keep learning, your children keep benefiting. ✨👶🏽👧🏽

25/11/2025

DONATE BLOOD. SAVE A LIFE!

Blood is needed every day for mothers in childbirth, children with severe anaemia, people injured in road accidents and patients undergoing surgery, cancer treatment or living with conditions like sickle cell disease. There is no substitute for human blood — it can only come from volunteer donors.

Join us at the Health and Wellness Centre Zambia, in partnership with the Zambia National Blood Transfusion Service, for our Blood Donation Drive:

📅 Date: 29th November 2025
🕘 Time: 09:00 – 15:00 hrs
📍 Venue: Health and Wellness Centre, Sandy’s Creations Resort, Lusaka
✨ Theme: Safe Blood, Healthy Life

Why your donation matters:

* One donation can help several patients in need
* Ensures hospitals have safe blood available in emergencies
* Supports patients who require regular transfusions

On the day:
✅ Free health screening before donation
✅ Refreshments provided
✅ Open to everyone aged 16–65 in good health

For more information:
📞 Call or WhatsApp: 0779649419
📍 Visit us at Health and Wellness Centre, Sandy’s Creations Resort, Lusaka

Your decision to donate could be the reason someone gets a second chance at life.

24/11/2025

📣 Child Health Week: 24th–29th November 2025

This week, Zambia marks the second round of Child Health Week this year, under the theme: “Building resilient systems for universal health coverage – leaving no child behind.”

With the Ministry of Health and partners running two rounds each year (June and November), Pendleton Children’s Clinic is proud to play its part. During this period, we will be offering:
✅ Routine vaccinations
✅ Catch-up doses for children who may have missed scheduled vaccines
✅ Vitamin A supplementation
✅ Deworming services
✅ Routine HPV vaccination for eligible girls

Parents and guardians, please bring your eligible children to Pendleton Children’s Clinic for these free, essential services. No appointment will be need and children will be seen on first-come-first-serve basis.

Together, let’s protect our children’s health and ensure that no child is left behind.

23/11/2025

21/11/2025

Understanding Newborn Reflexes: What They Tell Us About Your Baby

Newborns are born with a set of automatic movements called primitive reflexes. These include the rooting reflex, sucking reflex, palmar grasp, Moro (startle) reflex and tonic neck (“fencing”) reflex.

These reflexes are important because they:
• Help with survival, especially feeding
• Support early bonding (like that tiny hand gripping your finger)
• Give paediatricians clues about how your baby’s brain and nervous system are developing

As your baby’s brain matures and they gain more control over their movements, these primitive reflexes gradually disappear, usually over the first 4–6 months of life. At the same time, more purposeful skills appear – such as reaching, rolling, and voluntary head control.

We pay attention to:
1️⃣ Whether each reflex is present when expected
2️⃣ Whether it is symmetrical on both sides of the body
3️⃣ Whether it fades at the expected age

🚩 It’s a good idea to have your baby checked if:
• A reflex is absent when it should be there
• It only appears on one side of the body
• Reflexes are extremely weak or extremely strong
• Primitive reflexes remain very obvious after 6–7 months

One reflex on its own does not equal a diagnosis, but it can be an early clue to look a bit closer at a baby’s development. If you ever feel something is “not quite right” with your baby’s movements, feeding or tone, trust your instincts and ask.

🩺 At Pendleton Children’s Clinic, we routinely check these reflexes during newborn and infant visits and are happy to talk you through what we see.

👉 If you have concerns about your baby’s reflexes or development, please book an appointment for a developmental check and reassurance.

Feel free to share this post with a new parent who might find it helpful.

20/11/2025

Today, 20th November, we join the rest of the world in celebrating World Children’s Day whose theme is 'My Day, My Rights'.

From the moment the sun rises, children wake up in a world shaped by adult choices – but every child, everywhere, wakes up with rights. The right to be safe. The right to learn. The right to be healthy. The right to play. And the right for their voice to be heard and taken seriously.

World Children’s Day marks the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – and here in Zambia, we are proud that the Children’s Code Act (encated in 2022), has brought these rights closer to reality. It protects children from torture, cruel treatment, child marriage, sexual exploitation, hazardous labour, harmful substances and corporal punishment. It also affirms children’s rights to survival and development, education, health care, social protection, a name and nationality, family care, leisure and recreation – and to express themselves without discrimination.

At Pendleton Children’s Clinic, we see these rights in our work every day:
🩺 Providing quality health care
🧠 Listening to children’s fears, questions and ideas
🏥 Creating a safe, respectful, child-friendly space for every visit

Today, we are calling on parents, teachers, leaders and communities to really listen to children – to understand what their lives are like and where their rights are being upheld, missed or fought for.

✨ Join us. Let’s amplify children’s voices, protect their rights and build a Zambia where every child can grow, learn, play and dream – safely and freely.

17/11/2025

💬Communication is more than talking—it’s how children connect, learn and join in. AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) gives children who find speech hard a reliable way to express themselves. 🗣️

Who can benefit?
Children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, apraxia of speech and any child with speech or language delays.

There are two main kinds of AAC:
• Unaided (no tools): gestures, facial expressions, eye gaze, sign language. 👋🙂👀🤟
• Aided (uses tools):
— Low-tech: picture boards, communication books, visual schedules, written words. 🖼️📖🗂️✍️
— High-tech: speech-generating devices, communication apps (e.g., Proloquo2Go, TouchChat), eye-tracking systems. 📱🖥️👁️

🗣️ Myth buster: AAC does NOT hinder (stop) speech. In fact, it often helps children develop stronger speech, language, literacy and social skills. When a child has a dependable way to communicate, confidence grows—and so does independence and participation in everyday life.

Every child deserves a voice. AAC helps them use it. If your child struggles with communication, schedule an appointment with our board certified Speech Therapist, Katongo Bhemba, on 0211-252352, 0955-390003, 0965-390003, 0979-390003 and 0779791719.