Little girl vomit

Vomiting (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

What Is Vomiting?

Vomiting is the forceful throwing up of stomach contents. Most kids vomit from time to time, but it usually doesn't last long and often gets better on its own.

What Causes Vomiting?

Many different things can make kids throw up. Most of the time, it’s due to gastroenteritis, an infection of the stomach and intestines. Gastroenteritis, often called the "stomach flu," is usually caused by viruses. Other germs, like bacteria and parasites, can also cause gastroenteritis. Besides vomiting, people with gastroenteritis also may have nausea, belly pain, and diarrhea. Vomiting due to gastroenteritis usually lasts less than 24 hours and other symptoms get better in a few days.

What Else Can Cause Vomiting?

People can sometimes vomit from:

food poisoning
motion sickness
migraine headaches
pregnancy

Rarely, vomiting can be a sign of a serious problem, including:

a blocked intestine, such as pyloric stenosis in infants
other problems of the stomach and intestines, like gallstones, pancreatitis, or appendicitis
increased pressure in the brain that can happen after a head injury or as a symptom of meningitis or a brain tumor

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Vomiting?

Kids often feel nauseous and have belly pain before throwing up. Other symptoms may include:

fever
loss of appetite
diarrhea

Frequent vomiting can lead to dehydration (not having enough water in the body). Signs of dehydration include peeing less often crying with few or no tears, having a dry mouth or cracked lips, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, acting very sleepy or less alert.

How Do Doctors Find the Cause of Vomiting?

Doctors usually can tell if vomiting if part of a stomach flu by hearing about the symptoms. Usually, no tests are needed. If a child is vomiting often or is very sick, the doctor may order a urine test, blood test, or other tests to check for dehydration and to find out what is causing the vomiting.

How Is Vomiting Treated?

Treatment for vomiting depends on the cause. Vomiting from gastroenteritis usually goes away on its own in less than 24 hours.

If your child has vomiting, help prevent dehydration by giving an oral rehydration solution (such as Pedialyte, Enfalyte, or a store brand). It has the right amounts of water, sugar, and salt to help with dehydration. You can buy it without a prescription at drugstores or supermarkets. If you can’t get oral rehydration solution, talk to your doctor.

If your child has mild dehydration and your doctor says it’s OK to start treatment at home:

Start with small sips of the oral rehydration solution, about 1 or 2 teaspoons every few minutes.
Babies can continue to breastfeed or take formula as long as they are not throwing up repeatedly.
Don't give babies plain water instead of oral rehydration solution. It doesn't have the right nutrients for babies with dehydration.
Older children can have frozen electrolyte popsicles.
Don’t give medicines for vomiting unless your doctor recommends it.
When your child stops vomiting, you can offer small amounts of solid foods, such as toast, crackers, rice, or mashed potatoes. Yogurt, fruits, vegetables, and lean meat, like chicken, are also OK.

Kids who continue to vomit or have more severe dehydration need treatment in the ER or hospital.

When Should I Call the Doctor?

Call the doctor if your child:

can’t drink for several hours
has signs of dehydration, such as peeing less often, crying with few or no tears, having a dry mouth or cracked lips, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, acting very sleepy or less alert
has a high fever
is vomiting blood, or has green or brownish vomit
has severe stomach or back pain
has headache or stiff neck
is vomiting after a head injury
is vomiting for more than 24 hours

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

Date reviewed: May 2021

Nausea or vomiting in children

Find possible causes of nausea or vomiting in children based on specific factors. Check one or more factors on this page that apply to your child's symptom.

Triggered or worsened by

Eating certain foods
Travel or motion

Onset is

Intermittent or episodic
Recent (hours to days)

Sudden (minutes to hours)
Within the first two months of life

Accompanied by

Abdominal bloating or swelling
Abdominal pain, discomfort or cramps
Abdominal pain that's severe and progressive
Constipation
Cough
Diarrhea
Dizziness

Failure to thrive or gain weight (infant)
Fever
Fussiness or irritability
Hives or rash
Swelling or tingling of lips, face and tongue
Wet burps or spit up
Wheezing

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Zitelli BJ, et al., eds. Zitelli and Davis' Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2017. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 11, 2017.
Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2018. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 11, 2017.
Muncie HL, et al. Dizziness: Approach to evaluation and management. American Family Physician. 2017;95:154.
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Temperature, vomiting, abdominal pain…

Publication date: August 07, 2018 . Category: News.

Summer is the time for holidays and vacations. The desire of parents to pamper their children with fresh vegetables, fruits and berries from the garden is understandable, to take them to swim in the nearest body of water. But the joy of communicating with nature can be overshadowed by an enterovirus infection.

nine0006 The beginning of the epidemic rise of this disease, as a rule, occurs in June, and the peak is in August-September. Last year, 14 cases of enterovirus infection were registered in the district (4 cases of gastroenteritis, 10 cases of herpangina). In the region, 481 such cases were registered, of which 459 cases were in children.

- A common symptom for all types of this infection is fever and a sharp increase in temperature, which usually lasts for 3-5 days, - says the infectious disease doctor of the district hospital E. V. Vasilyeva. - If the infection has an intestinal form, the child will have abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. If the mucous membranes are attacked, there will be signs of a respiratory disease - runny nose, cough, sore throat. nine0005

Well, if a child has a headache at a high temperature, vomiting does not stop, there is photophobia, the doctor already has reason to suspect serous-viral meningitis.

- Enterovirus infection is a "disease of dirty hands," continues Elena Viktorovna. - The name is one, but there are a great many diseases that can be attributed to this type. It affects not only the gastrointestinal tract. It can affect the mouth and eyes. Becoming the cause of herpetic sore throat or conjunctivitis, it can cause fever with or without a rash, and can also cause very serious diseases - serous viral meningitis or encephalitis. nine0005

The exact same answer to the question of whether the child has an enterovirus infection, and what kind of virus struck him, only laboratory tests will help.

Enterovirus most often affects children under the age of 10 years. The most likely mode of infection is waterborne. The virus can enter the body when children splash in ponds and swallow water. Or if they drink unboiled water.

Airborne and household contact are also options for the widespread spread of infection, primarily among organized preschool children and younger schoolchildren. Food products, in particular, fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, can also be a source of infection. nine0005

How to protect yourself from infection? First of all, observe the rules of personal hygiene. Use boiled or bottled water for drinking. Be sure to wash your hands with soap before eating and after each visit to the toilet. Ventilate the rooms more often and carry out wet cleaning in the apartment.

Vegetables and fruits (including bananas, watermelons, kiwi) should be thoroughly washed with a brush with soap and rinsed with boiling water before use. The same goes for eggs. You should not purchase food from private individuals, in places not designated for trade. nine0005

Swimming - only in officially permitted places, when bathing, try not to get water into your mouth.

If you still failed to protect yourself from the disease, and you have clinical manifestations of an infectious disease, do not self-medicate, but seek qualified medical help!

“We thought it was chicken pox”: why a little girl from Sovetsk died

On October 13, 2017, a little girl died in the Neman Central District Hospital, she was taken to a medical facility by ambulance from Sovetsk. In November, a criminal case was opened in the regional Investigative Committee on the fact of the death of a child. The investigation believes that the girl died as a result of untimely medical assistance. The correspondent of "New Kaliningrad" contacted Elena, the mother of the deceased girl, and found out what happened on that tragic day.

Elena is a mother of many children, she is 40 years old. Together with her children and her husband, she lives in Sovetsk (registered in the Neman). Before the tragedy, Elena worked in a kindergarten, and her youngest daughter Snezhana also went there. The girl was 1 year and 8 months old. nine0005

“In early October, Snezhana became snotty, our eyes festered. Just at that time, flu shots were started in the kindergarten. We treated Snezhana, but she was vaccinated a week after the illness, although she should have been vaccinated a month later. After 4 days in the kindergarten, the child had a fever,” said Snezhana’s mother, Elena.

According to her, the child felt better the very next day, October 11. In the morning, the child's temperature was measured - 36.6. “We went to the kindergarten. But at dinner, Snezhana began to act up, it turned out that her temperature rose - at first it was 37, then it rose to 38.5. Since I was working, I called Snezhana's dad and mother-in-law to take the child home," Elena said. nine0005

The girl was brought home. Snezhana's grandmother, according to Elena, began to call the Sovetsk children's clinic to call a doctor. However, according to the girl's mother, it was not possible to do this. “The mother-in-laws at the clinic said that it was too late to call the doctor — bring the child yourself to the appointment. Snezhana's grandmother was the lucky one. There is a huge line, the child is bad. In general, our grandmother broke into the office. They measured the temperature there - 39.9, ”said Elena.

The child was prescribed medication and injections. According to the girl's mother, the doctor saw spots on the child's body. “She asked her grandmother: “What are these spots? It looks like a windmill." Grandmother immediately said that it was not chicken pox, she knows what this disease looks like. However, the doctor with the question "Can you manage at home?" sent us home for treatment. She didn't even offer to call an ambulance. We did not sign any refusals from hospitalization," Elena said. nine0005

In the evening of the same day, Elena returned from work. Snezhana's temperature was brought down to 38 degrees. The girl ate porridge, drank and even played a little. The next day, October 12, according to Elena's stories, little Snezhana stopped eating, only drank, and became lethargic. “We managed to bring the temperature down to 37 kopecks. We were already so happy, we thought, since they shot down, it means that she is recovering, ”shared Snezhana’s mother.

You can read about how to recognize the first symptoms of a meningococcal infection here. nine0047

But on the night of October 12-13, the girl began to vomit severely. “She vomited very hard, just like an adult. She drinks and immediately vomits. We called an ambulance. We were taken to the Neman hospital to the infectious diseases department. We were accepted, no tests were taken. The doctor wasn't there yet. We immediately began to put some kind of injections, droppers. On the second dropper, at about 8 o'clock in the morning, Snezhana died, right in front of my eyes. The doctor came only at fifteen minutes past eight, wiped his lips and covered her,” recalls the girl’s mother. The cause of Snezhana's death was an infectious disease - meningococcal infection. nine0005

Elena left the kindergarten immediately after Snezhana's funeral, now she has got a job elsewhere. “We were informed that a criminal case had been opened. We will go to the end, we will fight to ensure that the doctors responsible for the death of my daughter are punished. They didn't recognize the infectious disease, so they sent me home. For us, this is an invaluable loss,” Elena concluded.

According to the regional Investigative Committee, a complex of investigative actions is currently being carried out aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident, the necessary medical documentation has been seized, and a number of forensic examinations have been appointed. nine0005

It should be noted that on Wednesday afternoon, the editors of Novy Kaliningrad sent an official request to the regional Ministry of Health.