Child Vomiting: Causes, Symptoms, and How to Treat it

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

Every stage in a child’s life seems to be a challenge to a new parent. One of the concerns which parents generally have is child vomiting frequently, which always looks like a matter of grave concern.

Vomiting is just a reflex which can be caused by a number of reasons like motion sickness, stuffing of food, illness or even a long bout of crying. 

Causes of your child vomiting

One of the most common reasons for vomiting in your child is due to gastroenteritis. It is just commonly called as Stomach Flu or Stomach infection, which is contracted by common viruses which we contact in our daily life. 

The other reasons for vomiting due to illness can due to a cold, a urinary tract infection, an ear infection or food allergy. 

When do you need to call the doctor?

Vomiting due to stomach infection does not really last long. It stays for one or two days. You need to check the symptoms and severity of the vomiting before contacting the doctor. 

If your child is vomiting only once/twice in a day, is active/normal in his behaviour and if your kiddo is drinking plenty of fluids, then it is okay to go without any treatment for one or two days. 

However, sometimes vomiting is a sign of another serious illness.

Symptoms you need to look out for when your child is vomiting:

 

If your child is showing any of the following symptoms, then you need to consult a doctor:

• Vomiting accompanied by a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher

• Signs of dehydration, no tears even while crying, reduction in the frequency of passing urine

• Lack of appetite

• Stomach ache/Tummy Ache

• Swollen tummy

• Vomiting accompanied by shortness of breath

• Severe irritability 

• Excessive sleepiness/Excessive fatigue

• Rashes on the body which persists

• Vomiting accompanied by a headache

• If your child vomits after having a head injury

• Blood or green substance in his vomit

Blood in the vomit of your child

Again, when we speak about blood in the vomit, you need to check whether it is one of a case or blood is there in the vomit every time. There would be blood in the vomit if your child vomits with great force. Due to the pressure of bringing the substance from the stomach to the mouth, some blood vessels tear, there is a little blood in the vomit, which is still okay. 

There will be red stains in the vomit even in the case where your little one has had a cut in the mouth in the previous 24 hours or has had a nosebleed in the previous 6 hours. Yet, it is recommended that you discuss/consult your paediatrician in case of red stains in the vomit. 

Make your child feel better post-vomit episodes

One of the most important steps to be noted for making your child feel better is to keep calm. Vomiting can be very frightful, exhausting and painful for your kid, actually, it is frightening for you as well. But you need to reassure your kiddo that it is ok and she will be alright. 

Some of the things which you can do to keep your child feel better are given below:

Keeping your child hydrated:

As we are aware, fluids are very important for keeping our human body to function well. When your child vomits, she loses a lot of fluids in her body and may feel dehydrated. Encourage her to drink plenty of fluids to keep her hydrated. You can try to give her Oral Rehydration Solution (as prescribed by your doctor). Sometimes, as soon as you feed your child with ORS, she may vomit. Wait for 5-10 minutes and then start again. Try to give her small sips frequently. Your child may refuse to drink, but you need to encourage her and ensure that she keeps herself hydrated.

It is best to avoid fruit juices or fizzy drinks as this deteriorates the condition. You can give your child tender coconut water which is one of the best ways to keep your little one hydrated

Taking Rest is the best:

Along with the medicines prescribed by the doctor, one of the best medicine to recoup and recover is to take ample amount of rest. Ensure that your child sleeps enough, as sleep helps in settling the stomach. During the sleep, the stomach empties into the intestines and reduces the bouts of vomiting. This also helps as your child would be exhausted and tired after continuous vomiting. 

Decreased appetite:

If your kiddo does not want to eat, do not force her to eat as this may increase the vomiting. Your kid when sick, she will be the best person to judge if she is hungry or not. Rather than pressing your kiddo to have solids, try to push in a lot of liquids like ORS/Tender coconut water/plain water. This helps in keeping her hydrated and also provides the much- required energy. Maybe, once her stomach settles, your child would herself come to you and say that she is hungry. It’s a complete no-no for sugary foods, fatty food and fried food as this worsens the vomiting.

Allergy check:

Keep a check on the food that your child is allergic to and avoid them. As a pattern, you would be aware of the foods which would intensify her throwing up. Take note of them and avoid them as much as possible. For example, some kids are allergic to dairy products when they are sick, at that time, you need to avoid it as much as possible. 

So, the basic points to be noted are to keep your child hydrated, encourage lots of sleep and note the symptoms. Vomiting in children is common yet it needs to addressed correctly. 

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.