Infant and child vomiting
Vomiting can be part of many illnesses in children and babies. It is not usually a major concern as long as your child seems well in other ways. Vomiting is common for babies and young children. Vomiting occurs when food is brought back up from the stomach. Although the amount of vomit seems large, it is only the contents of your baby's stomach.
Many children are sick just once and almost immediately announce they are hungry. But vomiting may be repeated. Undigested food may be seen in the vomit. More worryingly, the vomit may be stained with yellow/green bile when vomiting is severe or there is underlying obstruction of the intestines. This is a more serious symptom, as is blood in the vomit, which suggests damage to the delicate lining of the gullet or stomach. Extremely forceful vomiting ('projectile' vomiting) in the first few weeks of life is typical of pyloric stenosis. Its important to establish why a child is vomiting and to treat the cause. The child should be gently supported, reassured and encouraged to drink small amounts of water or rehydrating fluid to keep hydrated. In more severe cases, anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) drugs and intravenous fluids may need to be given.
Children have a greater risk of becoming dehydrated, especially if the vomiting occurs with diarrhea, because young children may often be unable to tell an adult about symptoms of dehydration. Adults caring for sick children need to be aware of these visible signs of dehydration: dry lips and mouth, sunken eyes, rapid breathing or pulse or in infants, decreased urination, and a sunken fontanelle (soft spot on top of the baby's head). Once you have determined your infant or child is truly vomiting and it is not bilious, the most common cause for vomiting is a viral infection or "stomach flu." Often the infant or child has been in contact with a person who has been suffering from the same illness. The child may have a low grade fever and/or diarrhea as well. Most of the time, vomiting in children is caused by gastroenteritis, usually from a virus infecting the gastrointestinal tract. Thankfully, these infections are usually short-lived and are more disruptive than dangerous to your child. However, if your child is not able to take fluids adequately, and if there is also diarrhea, she could become dehydrated, especially if your child is an infant.
Two common causes of vomiting that affect children, rather than infants are post-tussive emesis and appendicitis. Post-tussive emesis is when a child has a forceful coughing spell, then immediately vomits. To treat this, the underlying problem causing the cough (i.e. asthma, pneumonia, etc.) needs to be treated; then the vomiting will stop. Appendicitis usually affects older children and teens. It starts as abdominal pain (usually right lower side), loss of appetite, fever and sometimes vomiting. This abdominal pain steadily gets more severe. Surgical removal of the appendix is the treatment, thus medical attention should be sought immediately. In babies and toddlers, vomiting may be caused by infections elsewhere in the body (e.g. respiratory tract, ears or urine). When the vomiting is prolonged or repeated, and the child is very ill, the cause may be more serious such as an obstruction of the intestines (e.g. from pyloric stenosis or intussusception), kidney failure, coeliac disease, or raised pressure inside the skull (intracranial pressure) because of a tumour or bleed. Find out more about these conditions at: food intolerance, travel sickness, chronic renal failure, coeliac disease and brain tumour. Vomiting may be a childhood version of migraine. Some children vomit when they are upset, while in older children, eating disorders can lead to intentional vomiting. |
