A day in the life of a paediatrician
For many parents - a sick child is one of the worst things to deal with. We worry about fevers, rashes, aches and pains - and just want to be re-assured that our precious little ones will be okay.
Having them being taken care of by someone who can calm the nerves of both parents and child is always comforting. For when our children are small and can't express how they feel in words, we look to the experts to assist.
Dr Christa Swanepoel is a paediatrician, who has devoted her life to taking care of little ones. For more than twenty years, she's practiced what she's termed her calling and her passion.
From a child friendly environment at the Sunninghill hospital, she sees scores of patients every day…
And while you might think that the patient is one little person at a time - mom, dad, and sometimes the grandparents all have to be comforted and re-assured. Dr Swanepoel says her job entails more than just taking care of children's physical wellbeing - behavioural patterns, possible developmental disorders and general social stresses all form part of what she deems important to detect early on.
This mother of one has been described by one parent as having the magic touch when it comes to her child. A true baby whisperer.
Slindelo Masikane sat down for a chat with Dr Swanepoel...