Vomiting in a child

Content

When a child suddenly has vomiting, it always causes his parents to be anxious and worried. Why can such a symptom occur, is it dangerous, and what should parents do to alleviate the condition of a child with vomiting?

What happens during vomiting?

Due to contraction of the diaphragm, the muscles of the stomach and the muscles of the abdominal wall, the contents of the stomach are released through the esophagus and mouth, and can also get into the baby’s nose. The diaphragm in a child descends, the upper part of the stomach relaxes, and the lower part spasms. This is the mechanism of vomiting.

This reflex is stimulated by a special "gag" center, which is located in the brain. To the excitation of this center leads:

  • Irritation of the nerve endings in the stomach (for example, during infection, overeating);
  • Exposure to chemicals (for example, drugs in the blood);
  • The influence of mental factors (for example, the reaction to the spectacle, experiences);
  • Middle ear receptor irritation (when rocking).
Vomiting in a child
Vomiting is a serious symptom that requires consultation with a doctor.

When do I need to see a doctor?

Calling a doctor to a child with vomiting should in each case of the onset of this symptom, since it is better to be safe and give the pediatrician to examine the baby if it is not dangerous than to miss the opportunity to begin treatment of a serious disease from the very first manifestations of it. They also distinguish situations in which it is impossible to delay a doctor’s call. You should call an ambulance if your child has:

  • Vomiting fountain.
  • A loose stool appeared and the temperature rose.
  • Attacks of vomiting are repeated many times.
  • There were severe pains in the abdomen.
  • In the emitted masses visible impurities of blood or bile.
  • Appeared disorders of consciousness.
  • There are symptoms of dehydration.

Evaluation of the appearance of vomit

A careful examination of the masses that the child has isolated during vomiting helps in identifying the cause of the deteriorated condition of the baby.

With bile

Such vomitus will have a yellowish-green tint. They appear during repeated episodes of vomiting and are often characteristic of food poisoning and gastroenteritis.

Mom and baby is sick
Evaluation of vomit will give a more complete picture of what is happening with the child

With blood

Blood impurities can be represented:

  • Veining or pink tint of allocated masses. It indicates a small bleeding from the gastric mucosa, for example, due to gastritis.
  • More red blood. This is a characteristic sign of bleeding from large vessels in the stomach or esophagus, which is a great danger to a child’s life.
  • Dark shade of vomit (black or brown). It is also a very dangerous symptom of bleeding in the stomach or esophagus. This color is formed when the effect of gastric juice on iron in the blood.

Additional symptoms and possible causes, what to do?

Manifestations

Possible reason

What to do?

Vomiting, liquefied stools, fever, abdominal pain, bile in vomit

Acute intestinal infection or poisoning

Call the doctor and, without waiting for his arrival, begin to give a crumbs of anti-dehydration.

The appearance of vomiting on the background of increased body temperature, runny nose, cough

SARS, pneumonia and other acute infections that occur with fever

Contact your pediatrician to prescribe the desired treatment.

Vomiting during coughing, sore throat

Pharyngitis, whooping coughangina

Call the doctor at home to clarify the diagnosis and prescribe a suitable therapy.

Vomiting, fever, refusal of food and drink, lethargy or anxiety, monotonous cry, the appearance of convulsions, a sharp reaction to a bright light, a rash on the body

Meningitis

Immediately call an ambulance, because with this disease, it is important to begin the correct treatment.

Vomiting, reduced muscle tone, depressed reflexes, agitation or lethargy, trembling of hands or chin, strabismus, headaches

CNS lesions (concussion, congenital abnormalities, tumors, and others)

If vomiting is associated with falling and hitting your head, call an ambulance immediately. In other cases, show the child to a neurologist for the purpose of appropriate treatment.

Periodic episodes of vomiting, poor weight gain

Congenital abnormalities of the digestive tract

Having noticed problems with the digestive tract, contact your pediatrician and go through an examination of the digestive system.

Vomiting, severe abdominal pain, deterioration of general condition, fever

Acute surgical conditions (appendicitis, peritonitis, intestinal obstruction, hernia incarceration and others)

Try to call a doctor without delay, as all these pathologies are life-threatening.

Sudden vomiting without other symptoms of disease

Foreign body in the esophagus

Suspecting that an object could get into the child's esophagus, immediately call an ambulance.

Repeated bouts of vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, characteristic urine and exhaled breath

Acetonemic syndrome

Call a doctor at home and start giving your child glucose medications.

Vomiting, skin rashes, liquefied stools

Food intolerance or allergies

Talk with your baby to a pediatrician and an allergist to identify allergens and eliminate them.

The appearance of vomiting immediately after feeding, the presence of respiratory disorders, tachycardia, cyanosis

Diaphragmatic hernia

Show the child to the surgeon.

Periodically recurring episodes of vomiting accompanied by abdominal pain and nausea, the condition improves without treatment

Cyclic vomiting syndrome

Go to the pediatrician with the child to discard other causes of vomiting.

In a schoolboy, vomiting attacks can be observed before events that cause intense experiences, such as an exam or a performance. Also at school age, vomiting may occur after breakfast, caused by situations where parents force the child to have breakfast.

Schoolboy at his desk
In children, vomiting can be caused by intense feelings.

Diagnostics

In determining the cause of vomiting, a survey of parents by a physician is of great importance, therefore, when communicating with a pediatrician, you should accurately answer the following questions:

  • When was the first episode of vomiting and how many attacks were there in total?
  • Is vomiting related to eating noticed?
  • How much vomit is released, how do they look and are there any impurities in them?
  • What other symptoms does the baby have?

In addition to the survey to determine the causes of vomiting, the doctor may prescribe a baby the following studies:

  • Blood test - to identify signs of inflammation.
  • Endoscopy and X-ray - to determine congenital abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract.

If there is suspicion that vomiting is caused by brain damage, the child is necessarily examined by a neurologist.

Mom with her daughter who is sick
Knowledge of the characteristics in which vomiting occurs and its characteristics will allow a quicker diagnosis.

Treatment

In the treatment of vomiting affects primarily the cause that caused this symptom. If the baby is suspected of having acute surgical problems or congenital diseases of the digestive tract, hospitalization is indicated.

What to do before the arrival of the doctor?

Episode vomiting scares any child, so first of all you should calm the baby and constantly stay close to the baby. When the seizure is over, wash the baby, give him some water to rinse your mouth. If the child is sleeping or lying, it is important to prevent the contents of the stomach from entering the respiratory system. To do this, the baby's head should always be turned to the side.

What give liquids and how often?

Since dehydration is most dangerous when vomiting occurs, it is important for parents to focus on filling up the fluid lost by the child’s body. It is better not to give the crumbs water, but pharmaceutical preparations with electrolytes. They are diluted in water according to the instructions and give the baby.

The total amount of fluid that is given to a child after vomiting is calculated based on the weight of the baby. After each attack, give 2 ml of solution for each kilogram of the child’s mass. At the same time, remember that a liquid, drunk after vomiting in large quantities, can provoke a new episode. That is why a child younger than a year is given a diluted solution with a pause of 10 minutes for a teaspoon, and for older children - 10 ml.

Gradually increase the volume of the solution:

  • In the second hour, every 15 minutes, 10 ml.
  • In the third hour every 20 minutes, 15 ml.
  • From the fourth hour every half hour, 30 ml.
Rehydron vomiting
Special salt solutions will help to avoid dehydration and saturate the body with essential minerals.

When vomiting fruit juices, tea, broth from chicken, cow's milk, as well as rice water or carbonated drinks should not be given to the child. Such drinking can aggravate the condition of the baby, because it does not supply the body with the necessary salt. If the baby is nursing, he should often offer the breast or the usual mixture.

Recipes for maintaining water balance

You can prepare a solution for otpaivaniya child independently, for example, adding sugar and salt to boiled water. For one liter of water, take from 4 to 8 teaspoons of sugar and a teaspoon of salt.

To restore the balance of minerals and prevent dehydration, you can make a drink with honey. In half cup of warm water, dissolve the honey (take 2 tablespoons), baking soda (take a quarter of a teaspoon) and salt (enough pinch). If such a drink is prepared for a baby younger than a year, honey can be replaced with sugar.

Medicines

The use of drugs in children with vomiting should be prescribed by a doctor. Especially, one should not give the baby antibiotics and anti-diarrhea drugs, since such drugs can do more harm to self-healing than help the child recover. It is much more important to regulate the drinking regime and prevent dehydration.

The doctor may prescribe a child with vomiting zinc drugs (studies have confirmed their effectiveness in diarrhea), sorbents and probiotics, as well as other symptomatic agents needed in a particular case.

The doctor diagnoses the child
You can give the child saline solutions yourself, and the doctor should prescribe medications for treatment.

When persistent vomiting persists for a long time, vomiting medications can be used, but they should also be prescribed only by a doctor. ABOUT vomiting in newborns and infants read in another article.

What can not be done?

  1. You should not try to make the baby gastric lavage, because in some cases it can increase vomiting and greatly worsen the condition of the crumbs.
  2. You can not give your child anti-vomiting drugs, as well as other drugs before the baby is examined by a doctor.
  3. It is forbidden to give the kidney a solution of potassium permanganate for drinking, since it is possible to make a mistake with the concentration or to dissolve the crystals poorly, causing mucosal burns in the child.

How to understand that treatment helps?

If the treatment is effective, then you will notice an improvement in the baby’s well-being:

  • The child will behave more actively.
  • Vomiting and diarrhea appear less frequently and then disappear completely.
  • The child has an appetite.
Information provided for reference purposes. Do not self-medicate. At the first symptoms of the disease, consult a doctor.

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