Vomiting is when you throw up what is in your stomach. Nausea is when you feel like you’re going to throw up.
Causes
Here are some common causes of nausea and vomiting:
Viruses in the intestines. (Your child can get diarrhea, too.)
Getting upset
Morning sickness in pregnant teens.
Motion sickness (getting “car sick” or “seasick” from traveling)
Some medicines
Spoiled food
Eating or drinking too much
Some serious problems cause vomiting, too. Here are some of them:
Appendicitis. This is when your child’s appendix is infected.
Stomach ulcers
Meningitis
Brain tumors
Kidney infection
Head injury
Watch your child very closely if he or she is vomiting. Babies and small children can get dehydrated very fast. Dehydration is when your body doesn’t have enough water.
Your older child or teen may make themselves throw up. This could be a sign of an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia.
Stiff neck. Very bad headache that lasts.
Fever. Acts very sleepy and/or strange.
Red or purple, bumpy skin rash that does not fade when you press on it.
Black or bloody vomit
Very bad pain in and around one eye
Blurry eyesight
A head injury that happened a short time ago
Feeling confused
Dry diaper for more than 3 hours in a baby.
No urine for 6 or more hours in a child
Sunken eyes. Crying with no tears.
Dry mouth and dry skin
Fever
Pain below the waist
Passing urine very often or wetting the bed (if he or she didn’t before). Pain when passing urine. Bad-smelling urine. Very dark urine or the child’s stool (solid waste) is white.
Self-Care
Be calm and loving. Throwing up can scare a child.
Keep a bowl or basin near your child. Hold your hand against your child’s forehead when he or she vomits.
Give your child water to rinse his or her mouth out after throwing up. Wipe your child’s face.
Take away dirty clothes or bedding. Change to clean ones.
Don’t smoke near your child.
Don’t feed your child solid food. Don’t give your child milk.
Wait 1 hour after your child throws up. Then give your child clear fluids (not too cold or too hot). Here are some examples:
Pedialyte®, electrolyte freezer pops, or other store-brand oral rehydration solutions (ORS)
Half-strength apple juice or Gatorade. Mix equal amounts with water.
Gelatin (any color but red)
Start with 1 to 2 teaspoons of liquid every 5 minutes for babies. Start with 1 to 2 ounces every 15 minutes for children. After 4 hours without throwing up, double the amount. If your child is still vomiting, stop fluids for 1 hour. Then start to give small amounts of fluid again.
Slowly give your child more clear fluids. Don’t make your child drink when they don’t want to.
For breastfed babies:
If the baby throws up more than once, nurse for 5 minutes every 30-60 minutes.
If vomiting continues, switch to pumped breastmilk or ORV, 1-2 teaspoons every 5 minutes.
After 4 hours without vomiting, return to regular feeding at the breast. Start with 5-minute feedings every 30 minutes, and slowly give more as your baby keeps more down.
For formula fed babies:
After 8 hours of no vomiting, go back to regular formula.
After your child stops throwing up, keep giving them clear fluids, like ORV, broth, and gelatin (any color but red). Do this for 8 hours. Then give foods easy to digest, like crackers, bread, and cereals. Then go back to the usual foods your child eats. But wait 12 to 24 hours after the last time your child vomited to give milk.
Don’t give your child over-the-counter medicine unless the doctor tells you to.
Call the doctor if your child doesn’t get better or if the vomiting comes back.
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Vomiting & nausea in children
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Vomiting & nausea in children
Triage Questions
Question 1
Does your child have 1 or more signs of meningitis with vomiting or nausea?
