Vomiting: How to Care for Your Child

Vomiting can happen for many reasons. The health care provider thinks your child's vomiting is due to gastroenteritis, also called the "stomach flu." This infection in the stomach and intestines usually is caused by a virus. Kids with gastroenteritis also might have nausea, diarrhea, and a fever. Vomiting usually isn't serious and goes away within a few days. It's important to help your child stay hydrated with the right kind of liquids.

Giving Liquids

• Give an oral electrolyte solution. It has the right amount of water and electrolytes (sodium and potassium) for kids. Brand names include Pedialyte® and Enfalyte®, and many stores also have a store brand. You don't need a prescription to buy it.

• Don't give your child sports drinks or full-strength fruit juices (which have a lot of sugar). You may add a small amount of clear fruit juice to electrolyte solutions or water for flavor.

• Give your child small amounts of the oral electrolyte solution every 5 minutes. You can use an oral syringe, a medicine cup, or a kitchen spoon. 

  • Start with 5–10 mL at a time.

  • After 1 hour, if your child is doing well, give 15–20 mL at a time.

  • Continue to give this amount every 5 minutes for the next hour or two until your child is peeing as usual. 

  • If your child vomits again, start over with 5–10 mL of oral electrolyte solution every 5–10 minutes.

• You also can give frozen electrolyte pops (brand names include Pedialyte®, and many stores have a store brand), water ice, and flavored gelatin. 

• There's no need to avoid milk unless it makes the vomiting worse.

Starting Food

• If your child hasn't vomited in 8 hours, offer small amounts of plain foods, like toast, crackers, rice, or mashed potatoes. Yogurt, fruits, vegetables, and plain cooked chicken are also OK.

• After your child has gone 24 hours without vomiting, you can go back to offering a regular healthy diet.

Medicines

• Don't give your child medicines for nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting, unless prescribed by your health care provider.

• You can give medicine for fever if your health care provider says it's OK. Use these medicines exactly as directed:

  • acetaminophen (such as Tylenol® or a store brand) 

  • OR

  • ibuprofen (such as Advil®, Motrin®, or a store brand). Do not give to babies under 6 months old. 

• Don't give aspirin to your child or teen because it's linked to a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.

Your child:

• has vomiting that lasts longer than 1 or 2 days

• has belly pain

• develops a new fever 

• has frequent watery diarrhea

• has blood in the poop 

• refuses to drink liquids or is vomiting after drinking clear liquids

Your child:

• has severe belly pain

• has a swollen or hard belly

• has vomit that's bright green, red, or brown

• is extremely tired and hard to wake up

• appears dehydrated; signs include dizziness, drowsiness, a dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, crying with few or no tears, or peeing less often (or having fewer wet diapers)

How can we prevent gastroenteritis from spreading? To help prevent the spread of gastroenteritis, teach all family members to wash their hands well and often. They should wash for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Clean tabletops, doorknobs, and other hard surfaces with a cleaner that kills viruses. Keep your child out of child care or school until 24 hours have passed with no vomiting.

Does my child need an antibiotic for gastroenteritis? No, your child doesn't need an antibiotic. The health care provider believes a virus caused your child's illness, and antibiotics don't work against viruses. Viral illnesses usually go away on their own without special medicines. Help your child feel comfortable and stay hydrated while the infection gets better.