Know About Vomiting In Young Children

I was attending a monthly meeting of a group of young mothers who had invited a pediatrician to talk about vomiting and diarrhea in children; most of the mothers surveyed there said their children had at least one dose of vomiting or diarrhea before the school going age. The pediatrician warned the young mothers that though it was common it was best the mothers avoided dehydration in their young children.

The pediatrician went on to tell the young mothers that the 2 main culprits of both these conditions were viral infections or bacteria attacking the intestine; vomiting could also be caused by rotavirus, a group of viruses that were passed on easily among children. It was significant to note here that though minor cases of vomiting and diarrhea cured themselves it was best to take care of young children as they were at a higher risk.

Thinking of the best way to treat vomiting especially when uncontrolled with prescription medicines as prescribed by a pediatrician; avoid using over the counter medications. Another very effective remedy would be to keep the infant or young child lying on the stomach or side as far as possible; this will help minimize the chances of him/her inhaling the vomit into the upper airways or lungs.

One of the remedies for vomiting is modification of a child’s diet; keep your child off solid foods, and encourage him/her to suck or drink small amounts of electrolyte solution, clear fluids such as water, sugar water, Popsicles, and gelatin water. This would help prevent dehydration, with liquids less likely to stimulate further vomiting.

rious complications of vomiting and /diarrhea is dehydration; this condition occurs when the normal water content of the body is reduced and there is a change in the vital balance of chemical substances like sodium and potassium. This hampers the functioning of the body and would in serious cases be life-threatening as most of the body’s cells depend on these substances being maintained at the correct levels.

Watch out for signs of dehydration in a baby or young child; thirst, dark and decreased urination, dry and flushed skin, eyes and mouth, headache, clammy hands and feet, sunken eyes, dizziness, confusion and irritation could be some of them. In babies you would notice sunken soft spot (fontanels) on top of the head. 

The only solution in case of dehydration is to make the child consume enough extra fluids to restore what has been lost through throwing up. If she vomits these fluids, notify your pediatrician; you may be prescribed infant Paracetamol for fever, or fluids to avoid dehydration and good hygiene with regular hand washing to limit the spread of rotavirus. You may probably have to admit the child in the hospital for re-hydration treatment.

Finally call a pediatrician if symptoms are serious; he/she would examine your child and order blood and urine tests or X-rays to make a diagnosis. If your child looks sick, the symptoms aren’t improving with time, or your pediatrician suspects a bacterial infection, he/she may perform a culture of the stool.

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