Baby keeps vomiting food

Vomiting in children and babies

It's normal for babies and children to vomit occasionally. In most cases, it will last no longer than one to two days and isn't a sign of anything serious.

The most common cause of vomiting in children and babies is gastroenteritis. This is an infection of the gut usually caused by a virus or bacteria, which also causes diarrhoea. The symptoms can be unpleasant but your child will usually start to feel better after a few days.

However, persistent vomiting can sometimes cause your child to become severely dehydrated and occasionally it can be a sign of something more serious, such as meningitis.

This page outlines what to do if your child keeps vomiting and describes some of the common causes of vomiting in children and babies.

If your child has a high temperature, you can also read a separate page about fever in children.

What to do

If your child vomits, you should keep a close eye on them. Trust your instincts and contact your GP immediately if you're worried.

If the cause is just a tummy bug, your child should still be feeling well enough to eat, play and be their usual self. In this case, keep feeding them as normal and offer them regular drinks (see below).

But if they don't seem themself – for example, if they're floppy, irritable or less responsive – they may be seriously ill, so you should get medical help immediately.

When to get medical advice

You should contact your GP if:

your child is repeatedly vomiting and is unable to hold down fluids
you think they're dehydrated – symptoms of dehydration can include a dry mouth, crying without producing tears, urinating less or not wetting many nappies, and drowsiness
their vomit is green or contains blood
they have been vomiting for more than a day or two

Go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department if your child is vomiting and develops sudden and severe tummy pain, or they're floppy, irritable or less responsive

Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E department immediately if they're vomiting and have a headache, stiff neck and a rash.

Looking after your child at home

In most cases, you can treat your child safely at home. The most important thing you can do is make sure they keep drinking fluids to prevent dehydration.

If your baby is vomiting, carry on breastfeeding or giving them milk feeds. If they seem dehydrated, they will need extra fluids. Ask your GP or pharmacist whether you should give your baby oral rehydration solution.

Oral rehydration solution is a special powder that you make into a drink. It contains sugar and salts to help replace the water and salts lost through vomiting and diarrhoea.

Children who are vomiting should keep taking small sips of clear fluid, such as water or clear broth. Fruit juice and fizzy drinks should be avoided until they're feeling better. If they're not dehydrated and haven't lost their appetite, it's fine for your child to eat solid foods as normal.

Again, speak to your GP or pharmacist if you're concerned about dehydration. They may recommend an oral rehydration solution for your child. Contact your GP or practice nurse if your child is unable to hold down oral rehydration solution.

If your child has diarrhoea and is vomiting, they shouldn't go to school or any other childcare facility until 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting.

Read more about treating gastroenteritis in children.

Causes of vomiting in children

There are a number of possible causes of vomiting in children, which are described below.

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is an infection of the gut. It's a common cause of vomiting in children and usually lasts a few days.

Food allergy

Food allergies can cause vomiting in children, as well as other symptoms, such as a raised, red, itchy skin rash (urticaria) and swelling of the face, around the eyes, lips, tongue or the roof of the mouth.

Watch out for foods that may bring on vomiting and see your GP for a diagnosis if you think your child may have a food allergy.

Other infections

Vomiting can sometimes be a sign of an infection other than gastroenteritis, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), middle ear infections, pneumonia or meningitis.

Contact your child's GP if they're vomiting and experiencing additional symptoms of an infection, such as a high temperature (fever) and irritability.

Appendicitis

Appendicitis is a painful swelling of the appendix, a finger-like pouch connected to the large intestine. It causes severe tummy pain that gets worse over time.

If your child has tummy pain that's gradually getting worse, contact your GP, or if they aren't open call NHS 24's 111 service immediately. You should call 999 for an ambulance if they have pain that gets worse quickly and spreads across their tummy.

In most cases of appendicitis, the appendix will need to be surgically removed as soon as possible.

Poison

Accidentally swallowing something poisonous can cause your child to vomit. If you think this is the case, contact your GP immediately or take your child to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department.

Causes of vomiting in babies

These include:

gastroenteritis
a food allergy or milk intolerance
gastro-oesophageal reflux – where stomach contents escape back up the gullet
too big a hole in the bottle teat, which causes your baby to swallow too much milk
accidentally swallowing something poisonous
congenital pyloric stenosis – a condition present at birth where the passage from the stomach to the bowel has narrowed, so food is unable to pass through easily; this causes projectile vomiting
a strangulated hernia – your baby will vomit frequently and cry as if they are in a lot of pain; this should be treated as a medical emergency
intussusception (where the bowel telescopes in on itself) – as well as vomiting, your baby may look pale, floppy and have symptoms of dehydration

Vomiting (0-12 Months)

Is this your child's symptom?

Vomiting (throwing up) stomach contents
Other names for vomiting are puking, barfing and heaving

Causes of Vomiting

Viral Gastritis. Stomach infection from a stomach virus is the most common cause. Also called stomach flu. A common cause is the Rotavirus. The illness starts with vomiting. Watery loose stools may follow within 12-24 hours.
Food Allergy. Vomiting can be the only symptom of a food reaction. The vomiting comes on quickly after eating the food. Uncommon in infants, but main foods are eggs and peanut butter.
Coughing. Hard coughing can also cause your child to throw up. This is more common in children with reflux.
Serious Causes. Vomiting alone should stop within about 24 hours. If it lasts over 24 hours, you must think about more serious causes. An example is a kidney infection. A serious cause in young babies is pyloric stenosis. See below for more on this.

Pyloric Stenosis (Serious Cause)

The most common cause of true vomiting in young babies.
Onset of vomiting is age 2 weeks to 2 months
Vomiting is forceful. It becomes projectile and shoots out.
Right after vomiting, the baby is hungry and wants to feed. ("hungry vomiter")
Cause: The pylorus is the channel between the stomach and the gut. In these babies, it becomes narrow and tight.
Risk: Weight loss or dehydration
Treatment: Cured by surgery.

Vomiting Scale

Mild: 1 - 2 times/day
Moderate: 3 - 7 times/day
Severe: Vomits everything, nearly everything or 8 or more times/day
Severity relates even more to how long the vomiting goes on for. At the start of the illness, it's common for a child to vomit everything. This can last for 3 or 4 hours. Children then often become stable and change to mild vomiting.
The main risk of vomiting is dehydration. Dehydration means the body has lost too much fluid.
The younger the child, the greater the risk for dehydration.

Dehydration: How to Tell

The main risk of vomiting is dehydration. Dehydration means the body has lost too much water.
Vomiting with watery diarrhea is the most common cause of dehydration.
Dehydration is a reason to see a doctor right away.
Your child may have dehydration if not drinking much fluid and:
The urine is dark yellow and has not passed any in over 8 hours.
Inside of the mouth and tongue are very dry.
No tears if your child cries.
Slow blood refill test: Longer than 2 seconds. First, press on the thumbnail and make it pale. Then let go. Count the seconds it takes for the nail to turn pink again. Ask your doctor to teach you how to do this test.

When to Call for Vomiting (0-12 Months)

Call 911 Now

Can't wake up
Not moving
You think your child has a life-threatening emergency

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

Dehydration suspected. No urine in over 8 hours, dark urine, very dry mouth and no tears.
Stomach pain when not vomiting. Exception: stomach pain or crying just before vomiting is quite common.
Age less than 12 weeks old with vomiting 2 or more times. Exception: normal spitting up.
Vomited 3 or more times and also has diarrhea
Severe vomiting (vomits everything) more than 8 hours while getting Pedialyte (or breastmilk)
Head injury within the last 24 hours
Weak immune system. Examples are sickle cell disease, HIV, cancer, organ transplant, taking oral steroids.
Vomiting a prescription medicine
Fever over 104° F (40° C)
Fever in baby less than 12 weeks old. Caution: Do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen.
Your child looks or acts very sick
You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

All other infants (age less than 1 year) with vomiting. See Care Advice while waiting to discuss with doctor.

Seattle Children's Urgent Care Locations

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

Bellevue
Everett
Federal Way
Seattle

Care Advice for Vomiting

What You Should Know About Vomiting:
- Most vomiting is caused by a viral infection of the stomach.
- Vomiting is the body's way of protecting the lower gut.
- The good news is that stomach illnesses last only a short time.
- The main risk of vomiting is dehydration. Dehydration means the body has lost too much fluid.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Formula Fed Babies - May Give Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) for 8 Hours:
- If vomits once, give half the regular amount of formula every 1 to 2 hours.
- If vomits formula more than once, offer ORS for 8 hours. If you don't have ORS, use formula until you can get some.
- ORS is a special fluid that can help your child stay hydrated. You can use Pedialyte or the store brand of ORS. It can be bought in food stores or drug stores.
- Spoon or syringe feed small amounts. Give 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 mL) every 5 minutes.
- After 4 hours without throwing up, double the amount.
- Return to Formula. After 8 hours without throwing up, go back to regular formula.
Breastfed Babies - Reduce the Amount Per Feeding:
- If vomits once, nurse half the regular time every 1 to 2 hours.
- If vomits more than once, nurse for 5 minutes every 30 to 60 minutes. After 4 hours without throwing up, return to regular nursing.
- If continues to vomit, switch to pumped breastmilk. (ORS is rarely needed in breastfed babies. It can be used if vomiting becomes worse).
- Spoon or syringe feed small amounts of pumped milk. Give 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 mL) every 5 minutes.
- After 4 hours without throwing up, return to regular feeding at the breast. Start with small feedings of 5 minutes every 30 minutes. As your baby keeps down the smaller amounts, slowly give more.
Pumped Breastmilk Bottle-Fed Infants - Reduce the Amount per Feeding:
- If vomits once and bottle-feeding breastmilk, give half the regular amount every 1-2 hours.
- If vomits more than once within last 2 hours, give 1 ounce (30 mL) every 30 to 60 minutes.
- If continues to vomit, give 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 mL) every 5 minutes. Only if not tolerating breastmilk, switch to ORS (e. g., Pedialyte) for every 5 minutes for a few hours.
- After 4 hours without vomiting, return to regular feedings. Start with 1 ounce (30 mL) every 30 minutes and slowly increase as tolerated.
Stop All Solid Foods:
- Avoid all solid foods and baby foods in kids who are vomiting.
- After 8 hours without throwing up, gradually add them back.
- If on solid foods, start with starchy foods that are easy to digest. Examples are cereals, crackers and bread.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Stop using any drug that is over-the-counter for 8 hours. Reason: Some of these can make vomiting worse.
- Fever. Mild fevers don't need to be treated with any drugs. For higher fevers, you can use an acetaminophen suppository (such as FeverAll). This is a form of the drug you put in the rectum (bottom). Ask a pharmacist for help finding this product. Do not use ibuprofen. It can upset the stomach.
- Call your doctor if: Your child vomits a drug ordered by your doctor.
Try to Sleep:
- Help your child go to sleep for a few hours.
- Reason: Sleep often empties the stomach and removes the need to vomit.
- Your child doesn't have to drink anything if his stomach feels upset and he doesn't have any diarrhea.
Return to Child Care:
- Your child can return to child care after the vomiting and fever are gone.
What to Expect:
- For the first 3 or 4 hours, your child may vomit everything. Then the stomach settles down.
- Vomiting from a viral illness often stops in 12 to 24 hours.
- Mild vomiting and nausea may last up to 3 days.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Vomits clear fluids for more than 8 hours
- Vomiting lasts more than 24 hours
- Blood or bile (green color) in the vomit
- Stomach ache present when not vomiting
- Dehydration suspected (no urine in over 8 hours, dark urine, very dry mouth, and no tears)
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 12/05/2022

Last Revised: 09/21/2022

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reasons, what to do, how to stop

The gag reflex is one of the protective reactions of the body, it is not always a sign of any disease. Vomiting helps the body get rid of toxins. Signals about the need to empty the stomach can come from various organs - the stomach, intestines, kidneys, liver, vestibular apparatus. These signals are sent to the vomiting center in the brain, which gives the command to empty the stomach.

Types of vomiting in a child

Vomiting can occur under various circumstances, such as traumatic brain injury, poisoning, motion sickness. In some cases, repeated vomiting occurs, sometimes it is accompanied by dizziness, fainting and loss of consciousness, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Vomiting of bile	Most often occurs in acute pancreatitis. Initially, it consists of the contents of the stomach, then bile is mixed with the main mass. By volume, vomiting is quite significant, because of this, the body can quickly fall into a state of dehydration. Traces of bile also appear with intussusception (obstruction) of the intestine. In addition to vomiting, in this case, there is episodic pain with spasms.
Vomiting of blood	Severe vomiting of blood may occur due to chemical burns. For example, when a child swallows acid, alkali and other caustic or poisonous substances. In this case, he needs urgent medical attention. Vomiting with blood also occurs with bleeding from the dilated veins of the esophagus in children with cirrhosis of the liver, as well as with a stomach or duodenal ulcer. All of these conditions need to be treated promptly.
Yellow or green vomit	This vomit has a bitter taste, which means that there are traces of bile in the mass. Perhaps there are problems with the functioning of the liver, gallbladder, or vomiting - a consequence of taking an excessive amount of fatty foods. The rotten smell of vomit indicates stagnation of food in the stomach.
Vomiting with mucus	Occurs in acute and chronic gastritis, food allergies (gastrointestinal form) and bronchitis. Usually, children under 3 years of age swallow sputum, with a fit of coughing, vomiting may begin with an admixture of mucus or sputum.

Causes of vomiting in a child

If vomiting is not accompanied by fever, then the most likely cause of its occurrence may be disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, food poisoning (expired or poor-quality food, chemicals), intoxication after taking the medicine , dysbacteriosis.

Consider some possible causes.

Pylorospasm or pyloric spasm

Gastric spasm, which most often occurs in newborns due to the underdevelopment of the nervous system. Vomiting may be profuse. Such a child is usually restless, poorly gaining weight. Pylorospasm should not be confused with regurgitation, which is most often observed when the stomach is full of food.

Intestinal obstruction

Accompanied by severe pain, bloating, cramps, blood in the stool. Intestinal obstruction in children is most often associated with worms or intussusception, which is the introduction of a section of the intestine into a segment of an adjacent section of the intestine. The vomit may contain bile.

Vomiting may be accompanied by anti-peristaltic bowel movements, which may contribute to the entry of intestinal contents into the stomach (2).

Inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (acute gastritis, gastroduodenitis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis)

These diseases can occur in violation of the diet, abuse of fried, smoked, fatty foods. In these cases, vomiting is often accompanied by diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and bloating. An increase in temperature is usually not observed, but in some cases it can reach 37°C.

Vomiting 10-15 minutes after eating is observed in functional dyspepsia, acute gastritis, tumor process of the cardiac part of the stomach. In some forms of gastritis, blood may be present in the vomit.

With gastroduodenitis, prolonged constipation may be replaced by diarrhea. In acute pancreatitis, the nature of vomiting attracts attention: it is repeated, plentiful. In this case, the contents of the stomach are first released, followed by bile and the contents of the duodenum. Such vomiting threatens with dehydration of the child's body. Vomiting in acute cholecystitis is usually not accompanied by diarrhea. The child, as a rule, is disturbed by pain in the right hypochondrium, bitterness in the mouth. Vomiting of food eaten the day before and even 1-2 days before its occurrence is characteristic of pyloric stenosis (1).

Risk groups for the formation of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract in the first year of life:

children born prematurely, morphofunctionally immature,
children who did not receive breast milk at the first feeding,
children who received total parenteral (through injection) nutrition ( 3).

Foreign body in the esophagus

Because children often put things in their mouths, a foreign body in the esophagus can cause vomiting. If a foreign body damages the mucous membrane of the esophagus or stomach, an admixture of blood may be detected in the vomit.

Food poisoning

Vomiting is common with food poisoning, such as expired or poor-quality food, unwashed fruits and vegetables. In such cases, vomiting may be accompanied by diarrhea, sometimes the temperature rises.

Dysbacteriosis

Violation of the intestinal microflora due to prolonged use of antibiotics is often accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. It is important to carefully consider the intake of such drugs, since they are detrimental not only to pathogenic microbes, but also to normal microflora.

Other diseases

Vomiting may also develop in diseases not related to the gastrointestinal tract, such as:

traumatic brain injury, such as concussion or brain contusion;
psychogenic trauma - can be provoked by stress, anxiety, emotional upheavals;
disorders of the vestibular apparatus;
metabolic diseases (diabetes mellitus, lactose intolerance, etc. ).

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What to do and how to stop vomiting in a child

First of all, you need to call a doctor. Before his arrival, the child should be given plenty of fluids - warm, slightly salted or mineral water without gas. You can try herbal decoctions, for example, from chamomile, mint, etc. This will unload the digestive tract, help remove toxins and replenish fluid loss.

During an attack of vomiting, it is important to ensure that the child is in a position that facilitates the discharge of vomit and does not choke. For this, the baby needs to be turned on its side and held in a semi-vertical position. After vomiting, it is necessary to rinse the mouth and free from vomit. You do not need to give your child any drugs or do a gastric lavage. Only a doctor can give appropriate appointments, having established the causes of vomiting.

— Depending on the cause of the vomiting, there are several ways to stop it before the doctor arrives. Parents of a child should not be given antiemetic drugs, since vomiting most often has a protective function, says pediatrician Svetlana Ivanchenko . - To replace the lost fluid, parents can start drinking a solution to restore fluid and electrolyte balance, as well as give tea with lemon for children over 3 years old. Doctors do not recommend bottled "baby" water for drinking a child with vomiting, because. this can further worsen the water and electrolyte composition of the blood in the body. In addition, current fluid losses with loose stools and vomiting are taken into account: for each episode of diarrhea / vomiting, an additional 100-200 ml of fluid is given.

The child should be calmed down and placed in a cool, quiet place. Put a cool damp cloth on your forehead, stroke your stomach without pressure in a clockwise direction. You should pay attention to the frequency and volume of urination in a child.

Thirst increases in the child, dry skin and mucous membranes appear. But with increasing dehydration, the child becomes lethargic, stops urinating, thirst disappears, the skin loses turgor (elasticity), and the eyes “sink”. In this case, there is no time to waste, it is necessary to call a doctor and hospitalize the child.

Daily fluid requirement per child's weight:

2-10 kg

100 ml/kg

10-20 kg per kg over 10 ml/5 ml

> 20 kg

1500 ml + 20 ml/kg for every kg over 20 kg Stop vomiting if it occurs during feeding, you can hold the child in an upright position. Liquid food can be given no earlier than two hours after the end of vomiting.

After vomiting, a sparing diet and sufficient fluid intake should be followed. A child can be given cereals from rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, low-fat vegetable soups, baked apples, boiled vegetables, crackers, kissels.

Prevention

“To prevent vomiting, you need to follow some preventive measures,” says pediatrician Svetlana Ivanchenko. - Do not give your child fatty, fried foods, soda, foods that have expired or are suspected of their low quality.

During the hot season, offer to drink more often, stay in the shade of trees, and not under the rays of the scorching sun. Timely pass medical examinations in the decreed terms. Then, at the slightest change in laboratory and instrumental studies, the doctor can pre-diagnose and prescribe preventive or therapeutic measures.

Here are some more important rules:

you must follow the rules of personal hygiene, wash your hands before eating;
wash and process fruits and vegetables well, pay attention to product expiration dates;
monitor the child and limit access to medicines, household chemicals, wean them from putting foreign objects in their mouths;
limit the amount of junk food in the diet, confectionery in large quantities, etc.;
Seek medical attention in time if the child complains of abdominal pain, stool disorders and other characteristic symptoms. Do not self-medicate.