Main reasons
In the first place is acute gastroenteritis of a viral or bacterial nature: vomiting begins suddenly, often at night, accompanied by loose stools. In young children, vomiting often accompanies any infection with a high fever, including ear infections, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections. A separate group consists of surgical causes: appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, intussusception, pyloric stenosis in infants. Vomiting is also caused by acetone syndrome, poisoning, motion sickness, migraine and head trauma.
- Acute gastroenteritis
- Infections with high fever
- Appendicitis and intestinal obstruction
- Intussusception in children
- Pyloric stenosis in infants
- Acetonemic syndrome
- Poisoning and taking medications
- Head injury and motion sickness
What to watch for parents
Not only the frequency of vomiting is important, but also its nature and accompanying symptoms. Green vomit with bile and severe cramping pain require immediate attention. Vomiting blood or coffee-ground-colored contents is also an emergency. Vomiting without diarrhea, but with severe headache and photophobia leads to the exclusion of meningitis. Assess signs of dehydration: dry lips and tongue, lack of tears when crying, infrequent urination, lethargy, sunken fontanel in an infant.
- Frequency and volume of vomiting
- Color and impurities: bile, blood, coffee grounds
- Presence or absence of diarrhea
- Abdominal pain and its nature
- Headache and photophobia
- Signs of dehydration
- Number of urinations per day
How to desolder correctly
Do not give your child a large amount at once: a distended stomach will respond with more vomiting. The rule is simple - often and little by little: a teaspoon every 5-10 minutes, gradually increasing the portion if the liquid is retained. The best solution is a pharmacy oral rehydration solution that replenishes both water and salts. After an episode of vomiting, pause for 10–15 minutes and continue. Breastfeeding is not stopped, breastfeeding is applied more often and for less time. The indicator of success is that the child begins to urinate.
- 1 teaspoon every 5–10 minutes
- Pharmacy solution for oral rehydration
- Pause 10–15 minutes after an episode of vomiting
- A syringe without a needle or a spoon if you refuse to drink
- Continue breastfeeding more often and for shorter periods of time
- Do not give juices and carbonated drinks
- Landmark - restoration of urination
Eating after vomiting
A fasting break is only needed for a few hours until the vomiting stops. Then they offer simple food in small portions: crackers, biscuits, thin porridge with water, mashed potatoes, banana, baked apple. Fat, fried, sweet and whole milk are set aside for several days. Don’t force yourself to eat: your appetite will restore itself. If vomiting is associated with acetone syndrome, on the contrary, sweet drinks and carbohydrate foods are important. Expand the diet gradually, adding one product per day.
- A short pause in eating until vomiting stops
- Crackers, porridge with water, mashed potatoes, banana
- Limiting fatty foods, fried foods and milk
- Don't force feed
- Sweet drinks for acetone syndrome
- Gradual expansion of the diet
- Return to normal eating within a few days
Treatment and when you need a doctor
Antiemetic drugs are prescribed to children only by a doctor and according to indications: self-administration can mask surgical pathology. Sorbents and probiotics play a supporting role and do not replace drinking water. Antibiotics are useless for viral gastroenteritis. A doctor's examination is necessary for all children under one year of age, for vomiting for more than a day, for any alarming signs and for an unclear reason. If the child is unable to retain fluid or is already dehydrated, intravenous rehydration is required in the clinic.
- Antiemetics - only as prescribed by a doctor
- Sorbents and probiotics as auxiliaries
- Antibiotics are not needed for viral infections
- Mandatory examination of children in the first year of life
- Visit the doctor if vomiting lasts longer than 24 hours
- Intravenous rehydration for dehydration
- Urgent hospitalization for suspected surgery