The child is vomiting: what to do?

When a child vomits, many parents begin to really panic. After all, it could be an infection or food poisoning, which can lead to dehydration, so you should take immediate action. Let's talk about what to do if your child is vomiting.

Causes of vomiting in a child

There are several reasons why a child may vomit. To determine the true cause, you need to remember what the baby did in the hours preceding the illness. Based on such observations, a correct diagnosis can be made, which means that the treatment will be correct and the child will recover quickly.

Vomiting can occur due to:

intestinal infection (it can be brought in with stale food, green or unwashed fruit);
severe nervous system disorder (fear, severe upset);
diseases of the central nervous system (usually, before vomiting, the child is bothered by frequent headaches and fever);
metabolic disorders (vomiting due to poor nutrition);
diseases occurring in the gastrointestinal tract;
foreign body entering the stomach;
infectious diseases.

What can you do if your child is vomiting?

It is best to immediately seek help from a pediatrician, but if for some reason this is not possible, then you should help the baby on your own. Place your child on his back so that his head is slightly higher than his body, so he will not suffocate if the vomit continues.

Be sure to give your child plenty of fluids to drink, as vomiting can lead to dehydration. If he refuses to drink, force him, tell him that he will soon feel better.

To restore electrolyte balance, you need to give your baby special medications. It could be:

"Regidron"
"Smecta"
"Enterodesis."

Regidron copes best with vomiting. You just won’t like the taste, but you need to give the child a teaspoon of solution every 5 minutes if the child is under 3 years old, and 30 ml every half hour if he is 3 or more. A weak solution of potassium permanganate also helps.

If the baby also has a fever, it is recommended to give the following medications:

"Nurofen"
"Calpol"
"Panadol".

If your actions do not bring relief to your baby, then you should call an ambulance, because vomiting can be a symptom of a serious illness that will not go away in a few days. This requires special treatment, which should only be prescribed by a doctor.

Find out more about what you can do if your child is vomiting in our article.

Diet for vomiting

To alleviate the child’s condition, you need to make sure that he follows a diet. You can't give it to him;

cow's milk;
carbonated drinks;
bouillon;
rice water

These fluids will only make dehydration worse. If the child feels better, you can give him a glass of freshly squeezed juice; vegetable or fruit puree or a baked apple are also suitable. It is better to abstain from solid food for several days, as it will cause discomfort. As a result, vomiting may occur again, which means you will have to start treatment all over again.

On the third day you are allowed to eat pureed rice porridge, and kefir and dairy products only on the fifth. You can also prepare steamed dishes for your baby - meatballs, cutlets, fish. Don’t forget about porridge: buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, cooked in water, will only benefit him and will not cause discomfort. Do not forget to make sure that your baby drinks more fluids, preferably filtered water - this way he will recover faster.

You will find some more useful tips on actions that can be taken if your baby has nausea and vomiting in our article.