Parents often worry when their child has a fever, but they seem to feel most helpless when their baby is vomiting.
And it is usually easy to understand why, after all:
- no medications stop babies from vomiting.
- parents worry that their baby will become dehydrated.
- even though a stomach virus is the most common cause of vomiting, especially when the child also has diarrhea, parents usually think that the vomiting is caused by other more serious conditions, such as an intestinal blockage.
Home Treatments for Vomiting
Unfortunately, in trying to keep their kids from getting dehydrated, parents often give their child too much to drink when they are vomiting. This often leads to more vomiting.
While fluids are important when a child is vomiting, experts usually recommend that you give small amounts of fluids at a time, and then give frequently. For example, you might give your baby 1 or 2 teaspoons of Pedialyte, LiquiLytes, or other oral rehydration solution (ORS) every 5 or 10 minutes instead of several ounces at once. Vomiting babies can usually tolerate small amounts at a time, while they will almost always vomit if you give them more than a few ounces a time.
You should avoid giving fruit juice, plain water, or rice water when your baby is vomiting though.
Once your baby is tolerating 1 or 2 teaspoons at a time, you can move up to 1 or 2 tablespoons every 5 or 10 minutes for a few hours and then 1 or 2 ounces at a time. She can next begin breastfeeding or drinking formula again.
Call your pediatrician if your baby continues vomiting or has other symptoms, such as fever, irritability, or if she is getting dehydrated.
Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Managing Acute Gastroenteritis Among Children. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2003;52(RR-16):1–16.
