Child vomiting often starts suddenly, and the most common cause is a stomach bug. The main question is usually not how many times the child has vomited, but whether a small amount of fluid stays down and whether the child stays awake, alert, and urinates.
If the child can drink small amounts often and the general condition stays good, the situation can usually be watched at home.
Start with a small amount of fluid#
If the child vomits, pause briefly and then start again with a small amount. A teaspoon or a small sip every few minutes often works better than a large glass at once. When the fluid stays down, the amount can be increased gradually.
Breastfeeding or bottle feeding is usually not stopped completely. For a baby who has clearly fewer wet nappies or seems limp, the threshold for assessment is low.
What the child can drink and eat#
Water, oral rehydration fluid, and sometimes diluted juice or soup may suit rehydration. Sugary drinks can worsen stomach symptoms and should not be the main fluid. When appetite returns, familiar light food in small amounts is enough.
Food does not need to be forced. If the child drinks, urinates, and gradually perks up, a brief poor appetite is part of the usual illness pattern.
Signs of dehydration#
Signs of dehydration include a dry mouth, less urine, tears without crying, unusual tiredness, limpness, and clearly worse general condition. Small babies may have noticeably fewer wet nappies than usual.
If vomiting comes with diarrhoea, more fluid and salts are lost. In that case, watch whether the child stays in contact, drinks on their own, and starts to improve.
When vomiting may mean something else#
Vomiting is not always from a stomach bug. Strong abdominal pain, localised pain, trouble swallowing, neck stiffness, severe headache, unusual sleepiness, or breathing problems change the picture immediately.
Green vomit, blood in vomit, and black stool are warning signs. If vomiting starts after a fall, a severe headache, or increasing abdominal pain, it should not be treated as an ordinary stomach bug.
When to seek care#
Seek care if the child cannot keep fluids down, urinates much less than usual, becomes unusually sleepy, or keeps vomiting persistently. Seek care also if the child is very young or if there is strong abdominal pain.
Seek urgent care if there is neck stiffness, confusion, breathing trouble, green vomit, blood in vomit, or rapidly worsening general condition.
Further reading and sources#
Further reading: