Sudden vomiting in a child. How to stop vomiting in a child: ways to quickly and effectively relieve the condition

Vomiting is the physiological act of evacuating food masses and other substances from the stomach through its antiperistalsis (reverse movement). Vomiting is a reflex act, that is, performed outside of our consciousness, although an adult with an effort of will can suppress vomiting to a certain extent, this may not always be the case. Moreover, a child, especially a small one, cannot resist the reflex of releasing food from the stomach.
The causes of vomiting can be very different; they are not always associated with pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, although this cause is the most common.
In a newborn baby, vomiting often accompanies spitting up, so it is difficult to distinguish one from the other. This can be a manifestation of both overeating and the intake of poor-quality or intolerable food, which, if it occurs once or rarely, does not require intervention.
The second most common cause of vomiting in a child is an intestinal infection or intolerance to nutritional components (complementary foods or milk). If vomiting is accompanied by rashes, the child, after complete emptying of the stomach, should be given an antihistamine in an age-appropriate dosage; it is advisable to inform the pediatrician about this and discuss the child’s further nutrition. In the case of an intestinal infection, tactics depend on the severity of the child’s condition. It is believed that a mild infection without high fever does not need to be treated - the stomach and intestines must be given the opportunity to cleanse themselves of toxic products, not forgetting to replenish fluid loss during breaks. A doctor must be called if vomiting is indomitable and accompanied by dehydration, due to which the child has lost 5% of body weight, if general state the child’s condition worsens, the body temperature remains high and in general the process does not tend to resolve; on the contrary, it worsens. This condition, especially in young children, may require hospitalization - this is very important, since in case of uncontrollable vomiting, the baby can only be replenished with fluid by drip (through a vein). Antibacterial drugs can also be administered there if necessary. Vomiting also occurs with ordinary acute respiratory infections, its so-called gastric form, but usually this is a one-time occurrence.
A common cause of vomiting in very young, newborn children may be an anatomical disorder of the esophagus - pyloric stenosis. It can be of varying degrees and can only be treated surgically. It is necessary to distinguish from pyloric stenosis a condition that is outwardly very similar, but has a completely different nature - pyloric spasm. In this case, there are no obstructions, and vomiting, often quite profuse, “fountain” occurs when the central nervous system is immature (in premature infants) or is damaged during childbirth or pregnancy. Treatment of such vomiting is carried out by a neurologist.
Vomiting can be associated with injury or disease of the brain - in this case, the vomiting center is irritated and vomiting does not bring relief, as with the gastrointestinal version. It happens with a concussion, meningitis.
Happen in childhood cases when, against the background of complete health, good nutrition in children 4-5 years old, frequent vomiting attacks suddenly begin - this may be so-called acetonemic vomiting, due to the formation and effect of ketone bodies on the brain. Diabetes is also possible in childhood, of course, but vomiting is more often observed with excess consumption of fats that cannot be completely digested by the pancreas - when the child eats a lot of cream, butter, and other fats. The same effect occurs when trying to suddenly lose weight in an overweight child - without getting the proper amount. nutrients, the body burns fats, and as a result, ketone bodies are formed, which cause vomiting.
Finally, vomiting can be purely neuropsychic in nature, and is often very difficult to cope with. Such vomiting is neurotic in nature, and can occur in response to a variety of stimuli - in small children - parental care, stranger. For older ones, fear of something, melancholy, hidden reluctance to do something (the child himself does not understand this). Such vomiting is treated by pediatric neurologists and often a consultation with a child psychotherapist is necessary.

Reading time: 9 minutes. Views 4.4k. Published 09/10/2018

A sudden attack of vomiting causes panic in children and parents; it is not always possible to find their bearings and provide assistance correctly. Today we will figure out why a child vomits, what should and should not be done, what medications will help eliminate the problem.

Main causes of infant vomiting

Vomiting in children is a common problem; the younger the baby, the more often he experiences sudden attacks, which begin due to irritation of the vomiting center located in the brain.

Provoking factors:

• pungent odors;
• illnesses gastrointestinal tract, kidney and liver pathologies in acute or chronic form;
• pathologies of the central nervous system organs - meningitis, encephalitis, in such cases vomiting is uncontrollable, but after the attacks the baby does not feel better, the temperature rises quickly, does not decrease even after taking antipyretic medications;
• teething;
• accumulation of acetone compounds;
• a sharp increase in temperature against the background of acute respiratory viral infections, pneumonia, purulent otitis media;
• poisoning, drug overdose;
• problems with the vestibular system;
• sunstroke.

Before an attack, nausea occurs, breathing is fast and intermittent, salivation increases, and the muscles of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles begin to contract intensely.

Vomiting, bowel movements, high fever

A child is one year old or older, vomiting and diarrhea are accompanied by high fever - these are manifestations of acute infectious processes, viral forms of hepatitis.

Intestinal infections occupy a leading position among all causes of vomiting in children - dysentery bacillus, rotavirus, salmonella enter the body due to non-compliance with hygiene rules.

The pathology develops rapidly - the child becomes sleepy or very excited, the temperature suddenly rises, vomiting and diarrhea begin, there is a lot of mucus and food particles in the feces and vomit.

Dyspeptic disorders and fever occur in pathologies that require emergency surgical intervention - inflammation of the appendix, diverticulitis, intestinal obstruction, acute cholecystitis.

Repeated vomiting and high temperatures occur when acetone and acetoacetic acid accumulate in the blood.

Pathology occurs with severe pain or inflammation, errors in nutrition, against a background of strong emotions, but can be a manifestation of serious illnesses. Additional symptoms are spasms and pain in the epigastric region, and a strong odor of acetone emanates from the child.

If the child is more than 6 months old, vomiting and stool upset occur during teething, normally the temperature should be within 37.7-38 degrees and last no more than 3 days.

Vomiting without fever

A one-time dose is not a reason to panic, the body is simply cleansed of undigested food and toxic elements. You need to start worrying if the attacks are frequent and severe, and there is a deterioration in the baby’s general well-being.

Vomiting without fever - possible causes:

• increased intracranial pressure;
• inflammation of the membranes of the brain;
• migraine;
• epileptic syndrome;
• attacks of vomiting at night or immediately after waking up often occur in the presence of tumors in the brain;
• coughing;
• metabolic disorders, diabetes;
• cardiac or renal failure in acute form;
• helminthic infestations - infection with roundworms, pinworms, lamblia;
• the presence of a foreign object in the intestines - there is mucus and minor inclusions of blood in the vomit.

Vomiting and diarrhea without fever often occur due to poisoning with pesticides and nitrates - these substances are often used to process vegetables and fruits.

The second place among food poisoning provocateurs is occupied by meat products, mushrooms, and baked goods with cream.

Psychogenic vomiting in a child

Often in children, especially schoolchildren primary classes, arises psychogenic vomiting– a consequence of frequent stressful situations, fear, anxiety, anger. In adolescents, the pathology may be due to bulimia or anorexia.

Children who suffer from lack of attention often deliberately induce vomiting in order to attract attention to themselves.

Vomiting of newborns

You may encounter the first attack of vomiting in the maternity hospital, if during delivery the baby swallows amniotic fluid - this condition is not dangerous, doctors quickly stop the problem.

If the newborn not only feels sick, but also has severe breathing problems, this may indicate a pathological narrowing of the nasal passages.

Causes of vomiting in infants:

• dysfunction of the cardiac gastric sphincter;
• congenital syphilis;
• congenital pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
• damage to the central nervous system;
• enzymatic deficiency, lactose intolerance.

Infants often regurgitate due to overeating or the accumulation of air in the stomach, unlike an attack of vomiting - when regurgitating, the abdominal muscles do not tense. To avoid trouble, hold your baby upright for a quarter of an hour after feeding.

The color of vomit and its meaning

During a single attack, the masses contain particles of undigested food, milk, minor admixtures of bile are allowed, any change in the color or consistency of the masses is a sign of serious pathological processes.

Analyzing color and consistency

1. The color and consistency of the masses resembles coffee grounds, there are inclusions of blood - internal bleeding, ulcers, urgent hospitalization is required.
2. The masses have a rich yellow tint - inflammation of the appendix, severe intoxication, intestinal infections.
3. A large amount of bile, vomiting has a sweetish-bitter smell - malfunction of the gallbladder, liver, cholelithiasis.
4. Green masses indicate neurological pathologies, severe stress.
5. Vomiting water occurs with a cold or prolonged fasting.
6. Foamy vomiting - occurs with acute intestinal infections, diabetes mellitus, meningitis, hepatitis, heart attack, and oncological pathologies.
7. Fountain vomiting in infants is a sign of overfeeding.

Be sure to collect some vomit in a sterile container to show it to the doctor, this will significantly speed up and simplify the diagnosis, the specialist will be able to quickly select effective methods therapy.

When you need to see a doctor urgently

You can treat yourself on your own only if the child’s vomiting and diarrhea are not accompanied by other dangerous signs.

In what cases is medical assistance required:

• the child's age is less than 3 years;
• there are blood impurities and dark brown inclusions in the stool or vomit;
• attacks occur every half hour or more often, differ in intensity, the child cannot even drink;
• vomiting began after a fall or blow to the head, there is a temporary loss of consciousness, loss of coordination;
• the temperature rapidly increases, convulsions and tremors of the limbs appear, and bulging of the fontanel is observed;
• yellowing of the skin, dry mucous membranes, rashes, noticeable enlargement of the joints;
• complaints of severe headache, severe abdominal discomfort;
• Vomiting occurs simultaneously in several family members.

Remember, single or repeated vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, white coating on the tongue of a child at any age is a reason to immediately call an ambulance. Similar symptoms occur when acute appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, any delay could cost the baby his life.

How to give first aid

If a child is nauseous, do not leave him alone, lay him on his back, turn his head to the side, place a basin nearby, and after each attack, rinse the mouth with warm, purified water.

Before arriving or consulting with a doctor, do not give any anti-vomiting or diarrhea medications, pain relievers, apply hot or cold compresses to the stomach, or try to force-feed the baby.

The main task is to prevent dehydration; you need to give the child a little water, but every 15 minutes. This must be done without fail, through hysterics and “I don’t want to.”

It is better to drink with special solutions, but since they have a rather specific taste, let the baby drink what he likes. When vomiting and diarrhea, it is better to drink harmful soda than nothing at all.

Diagnostic methods

To identify and eliminate the cause of vomiting, you need to undergo a comprehensive examination. During the examination, the doctor measures temperature indicators, pulse, pressure, breathing rate, checks reflexes, assesses the degree of dehydration and the condition of the skin and mucous membranes. Be sure to palpate the abdomen and fontanelle, and record changes in weight.

Research methods:

• general and biochemical analysis blood;
• clinical urine analysis;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
• CT, MRI of the brain;
• examination of the stomach using an endoscope;
• X-ray of the peritoneum with contrast agent.

Based on the diagnostic results, a diagnosis is made, and the doctor makes a decision on hospitalization or outpatient treatment.

How to treat?

Whatever the reasons for the vomiting, the child must be given a drink; give no more than a few sips at a time, so as not to provoke a new attack. All liquid must be at body temperature in order to be quickly absorbed.

Anti-vomiting medications for children:

1. Timely use of Regidron for vomiting - The best way avoid dehydration, the drug replenishes fluid deficiency, restores the balance of salts and minerals.
2. Activated carbon - quickly eliminates signs of intoxication. Dosage – 1g/kg, no less, Smecta is also a good enterosorbent.
3. Paracetamol, Ibuprofen are antipyretics; they should be given if the temperature is more than 38.5 degrees.
4. Cerucal is given to children over 2 years old - the drug blocks the supply of impulses to the brain, the vomiting center temporarily stops working. The medicine has many contraindications and side effects, it can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.
5. Enterofuril, Furazolidone, Ciprofloxacin – antimicrobials, help with vomiting of infectious origin.
6. Motilium, Domperidone - antiemetic drugs.
7. Diarol, Imodium - anti-diarrhea drugs.
8. Mezim, Linex, Bifiform - medications restore the functioning of the stomach.
9. No-spa, Atropine - eliminates abdominal cramps.
10. Etaperazine is an antipsychotic with sedative and antiemetic effects.

After eliminating the causes of vomiting, for several weeks the child is shown a gentle diet - the diet should not contain anything sweet, fatty, fried, baked goods, junk or heavy food.

The basis of the menu is porridge with water, light soups, boiled lean meat, baked fruits, stewed or steamed vegetables.

Is vomiting dangerous for children?

Attacks of vomiting are dangerous for children, especially for children under 3 years old - many mechanisms in their bodies are imperfect, so vomit can get into the body. Airways, then it is fraught with suffocation and the development of aspiration pneumonia.

Second danger severe nausea and vomiting , also in combination with diarrhea - dehydration; in young children the pathology develops quickly, everything can end in serious consequences neurological diseases in the future, or even death.

Signs of dehydration - the skin and mucous membranes dry out, the child cries without tears, the number of urination decreases, and the fontanel sinks.

Conclusion

There are many reasons for vomiting in children; we cannot completely protect the baby from this trouble, but simple preventive measures will help reduce the risk of attacks. Feed your child high-quality foods, follow the rules of food storage and heat treatment.

Teach your child to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly, use antiseptics when walking, and regularly visit specialists for preventive examinations, do not self-medicate.

One of the most unpleasant and alarming symptoms vomiting indicates that something is wrong in the child’s body.

The reasons for the appearance of vomiting can be quite different, but in any of the cases this condition carries a certain danger to the health and normal functioning of the baby’s body, since vomiting significantly dehydrates him, deprives him of useful substances and is simply physically exhausting.

Since vomiting is not a disease in itself, you need to understand what exactly provokes it, especially since for some reasons the child may need urgent medical intervention or specialized treatment.

What should parents know in order to be able to provide all possible assistance to their baby before the doctor arrives, and how can they cope with vomiting at home?

By medical definition vomiting is considered a symptom of certain disorders or diseases and can be provoked various factors. If a person has a gag reflex, this means that his body is protecting itself in such a specific way from toxins or other external irritants and harmful substances, trying to get rid of them.

When vomiting, all the contents of the stomach, that is, foods that have not been fully digested, are involuntarily and rapidly poured out. This occurs due to a sharp and active contraction of the abdominal muscles and diaphragm, as a result of which the lower section of the stomach begins to suffer from spasms, and its upper section, on the contrary, can be relaxed.

Vomiting is always accompanied by an additional “bouquet” of unpleasant sensations in the form of a taste of acid or bile in the mouth, a nasty smell, a sore throat due to a disturbed trachea, etc.

Let's look at the types of vomiting in more detail. This will help you understand what exactly you are dealing with, how serious or dangerous the situation is, and what measures need to be taken.

If vomiting is not accompanied by fever or other characteristic symptoms, then this may be a sign of a disease of any of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, it may also indicate a problem with metabolism, intoxication or poisoning of the body, or problems with the nervous system.

The color and nature of the vomit will differ depending on the cause or trigger of the vomiting.

Why might there be mucus?

If baby is coming vomiting with mucus, this may be a sign of:

• rotavirus infection or a simple viral infection like the flu;
• diseases of the central nervous system;
• exacerbation of chronic gastritis due to improper diet;
• food poisoning;
• acute inflammation of the stomach - this reaction is possible after taking certain irritating medications or substances, such as antipyretics or painkillers.

At the same time, for children infancy vomiting with mucus is considered one of the normal variants. Often the gag reflex bothers infants when they eat too much or overeat, but the mucus just gets into the vomit from the bronchi and nasopharynx of the child.

What does it mean if you vomit blood?

This is much more dangerous, because bloody vomiting indicates that the upper digestive tract may be damaged or there is bleeding there.

Also, blood in the vomit may appear in the following cases:

• if there is bleeding in the esophagus or pharynx, in the oral cavity or in the upper part of the stomach, then the bloody impurities will be scarlet;
• if the stomach or duodenum child is affected by peptic ulcer or erosion, then due to the effect on the blood of hydrochloric acid it will be the color of “coffee grounds”;
• if the child has been poisoned by poisonous mushrooms or cauterizing poisons;
• if the baby accidentally swallowed some foreign body that could damage the mucous membrane and cause bleeding.

In any of the above cases, the patient requires urgent hospitalization and qualified medical care.

However, please note that infants can sometimes also vomit or regurgitate blood, which is caused by blood accidentally getting into the milk from a crack in the nipples of the mother’s breast.

When will vomiting include bile?

Most often, parents encounter this type of vomiting. When bile is present in the vomit, it turns yellow-green or yellow color, and also sometimes acquire a greenish tint.

Typically, vomiting of bile in children occurs in the following cases:

• if the child has eaten too much;
• if there is serious food poisoning;
• if the baby’s diet includes unhealthy or unhealthy foods, that is, fried, spicy, fatty foods or dishes.

Other types

In addition, vomiting may be:

• hepatogenic;
• cardiac;
• psychogenic;
• bloody;
• abdominal;
• diabetic;
• renal;
• cerebral;
• cyclic ketonomic;
• acetonomic - with an increase in the concentration of ketone bodies in the blood.

Doctors also distinguish between primary or idiopathic vomiting and secondary vomiting. The first occurs due to certain disorders in the diet, and the second is a sign various diseases– somatic, infectious, endocrine, central nervous system lesions, etc.

If the vomiting is green or yellow, this means that the child may be suffering from an intestinal infection, food poisoning, an incorrectly selected diet, or it may also indicate that he has a strong nervous breakdown/ stress or inflammation of appendicitis.

If the vomit is red or brown, then, as already mentioned, this signals danger in the form of stomach bleeding, damage to the esophagus or gastrointestinal mucosa.

Black vomiting can occur when you abuse activated charcoal tablets or after chemotherapy.

Only a doctor can determine the type of vomiting and give the child the correct diagnosis, so in any case it is better not to self-medicate, but to see a specialist.

Main reasons

If we talk about the causes of vomiting, in most cases they are similar for both infants and small children, and for older children, and among the most common and frequently encountered are the following factors.

• The process of teething - often when teething, babies are bothered by the urge to vomit.
• Elevated temperature - more than 38-39 degrees - with acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections, otitis media, inflammation, and other diseases.
• Bronchitis or whooping cough - a strong cough can provoke involuntary vomiting due to overstrain of the abdominal muscles.
• Food poisoning or the child eating unusual foods or irritating substances.
• Intolerance breast milk or formula milk.
• Heatstroke or sunstroke.
• The baby may burp profusely, which is not at all dangerous, if he eats too much and overeats, but in this case the older child will simply vomit or vomit if so much food was eaten that his stomach was not able to digest.
• Babies often swallow air during feeding, and then suffer from colic, bloating and even vomiting. This phenomenon is called aerophagia in medicine and occurs quite often.
• Vomiting can be a symptom of appendicitis and cholecystitis.
• Allergic reaction to medications, drug intolerance.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or problems in its functioning - this can be either a common pathology for children under one year of age in the form of poor functioning of an incompletely formed stomach, or a dangerous disease called pyloric stenosis. In the latter case, hypertrophied intestinal muscles do not allow food to “escape” from the stomach, so with each feeding the child will vomit like a fountain and rapidly lose weight.
• In addition to this disease, there may be others that are no less dangerous and require medical care or even surgical intervention: pylorospasm, stenosis, hernia, achalasia, diverticulum, intussusception, dysentery, salmonellosis, etc.
• Sometimes even infants may experience gastritis and peptic ulcers, which can cause vomiting, as well as the so-called stomach flu– also known as gastroenteritis, which occurs when pathogenic microflora enters the body.
• Dysbacteriosis is a very common cause of vomiting in infants, as is rotavirus.
• Severe nervous shock, stress or neurosis - emotional overload can also be accompanied by vomiting.
• Diseases of the central nervous system or its disorders - meningitis, concussion, head injury, craniocerebral pathologies, brain tumor, posterior fossa syndrome, epilepsy, severe migraines, increased intracranial pressure.
• Vomiting may be accompanied by: serious illnesses, such as acute heart or kidney failure, diabetes, anicteric hepatitis, liver diseases, purulent otitis media.
• A foreign body entering the body will cause vomiting if the child swallows a large object and it gets stuck at the level of the esophagus.

In addition, it is necessary to note some more rare, but common causes of vomiting in children:

• Riley-Day syndrome - a condition characterized by the absence of reflexes, decreased pain sensitivity, and, in addition to vomiting, is also accompanied by mental overexcitation;
• Addison's syndrome - it causes fullness of the stomach and sudden vomiting with bile impurities;
• problems with the vestibular apparatus - the child gets sick in transport, on high altitude etc.;
• hyperparathyroidism is a condition in which there is a sharp decrease in muscle tone, there is also no appetite and the child suffers from severe vomiting, and if it is not stopped, dehydration can provoke convulsions;
• abdominal epilepsy and abdominal migraine - are accompanied not only by paroxysmal vomiting, but also by abdominal pain, sometimes diarrhea and other symptoms.

How can you help a child and stop vomiting, taking into account age categories?

Vomiting scares not only children, but also adults.

However, it is very important to remain calm and act as decisively and quickly as possible, since excessive worries, worries and fear can further harm the child and provoke new vomiting attacks in him, which will again have to be stopped.

Therefore, your main task is to try to provide all possible first aid before the doctor arrives and try to recognize the cause of vomiting or the factor that provokes it. Having determined this, you will be able, firstly, to cope with the problem much faster, and secondly, you will understand how serious or dangerous the child’s condition is.

To help your newborn baby or infant, take the following measures:

• stop feeding your baby if vomiting occurs during feeding;
• if regurgitation or vomiting appears after a heavy meal, do not overfeed the child so as not to provoke gag reflexes;
• try to keep the child in vertical position or in a semi-horizontal position with the head turned to one side so that he does not accidentally choke on vomit;
• also, do not forget to carry the baby in an upright position after feeding for at least half an hour, in addition, make sure that nothing puts pressure on the baby’s stomach, and do not shake or rock him yourself;
• give your baby a drink from a pipette or spoon every 5-10 minutes - you can give both regular boiled water and alkaline mineral water without gas, but the Regidron solution would be more appropriate in this situation - it will help restore the electrolyte balance in the child’s body and not will allow the dehydration process to begin;
• "Regidron" can be given to infants one or two teaspoons every 5-10 minutes or the baby can be given a drink from a pipette;
• create a comfortable and calm atmosphere so as not to irritate the child even more - dim the bright lights, ensure silence;
• Call an ambulance immediately if the vomiting is prolonged, bloody, has a greenish tint and a foul odor, or is accompanied by other dangerous symptoms– fever, cramps, loose stools, restless or unusual behavior of the baby.

If the vomiting was one-time, and then stopped and the baby already feels normal, you can try to feed him, but not earlier than six to eight hours after the vomiting has completely stopped.

A short period of fasting will be beneficial for the body, since food entering the stomach can only irritate the mucous membranes and provoke new attacks of vomiting.

For vomiting in one-year-old children, first aid measures will be similar to those already listed above. First of all you should:

• calm the child down, introduce him to bed rest if possible - make sure that the baby is lying on his side and place a basin near the crib so as not to run to the toilet or bathroom if necessary;
• exclude poisoning or other causes of vomiting, in which it is simply necessary not to stop it, but to urgently rinse the stomach;
• do not feed the child, but give him constantly plenty of fluids at room temperature - plain or mineral water without gas, a ready-made glucose-salt solution "Regidron" or, if there is no drug, you can prepare the remedy at home;
• let the child drink two or three teaspoons every 5-10 minutes - it’s good to alternate water and saline solution;
• wash your baby’s face and hands after bouts of vomiting, and also rinse his mouth - this will not only help alleviate the child’s condition, but will also prevent acidic gastric contents or bile from causing local irritation;
• change your baby's clothes if he gets dirty; if he has loose stools, be sure to wash and change his underwear;
• Do not feed the baby and stay close to him all the time.

So, the first priority is to find out possible reason vomiting and determine whether there are accompanying symptoms, and then try to provide first aid to the baby:

• do not frighten the child with your panic and lamentations, do not cry or scream, even if he has soiled his clothes, bed or carpets - neither you nor he needs additional stress now - act calmly, quickly and decisively, support the baby with words, stroke him, calm him down ;
• The best position now for the child is to lie on his side, and put a towel under his cheek and chin in case of repeated vomiting, and let the basin be nearby;
• if the baby’s temperature has risen significantly - above thirty-eight degrees, then you can give him an antipyretic (just not by mouth), but it’s better to wait for the doctor to arrive;
• when an attack occurs, sit the child down, tilting his body forward so that vomit does not enter the lungs;
• after an attack, wipe his face and hands with a damp cloth/towel or wash him, let him rinse his mouth;
• do not forget about drinking plenty of fluids - older children can be given one or two tablespoons of water or glucose-saline solution every 5-10 minutes;
• if there is blood in the vomit, you should not give anything to drink - in this case, doctors advise applying an ice pack to the child’s stomach or letting him suck on a small piece of ice - such measures help to narrow the blood vessels and stop the bleeding until the ambulance arrives. If necessary, collect vomit and stool for subsequent testing.

From the video you can find out the doctor’s opinion on what to do when vomiting begins in children.

What methods can you use to stop vomiting at home?

Doctors do not advise self-medication, since vomiting should be treated differently, depending on what caused it, and you, without knowing accurate diagnosis and the overall picture of the disease, you can simply harm the child.

For example, if a baby has been poisoned, then it is impossible to suppress the urge to vomit until all harmful substances are released from his body; moreover, in case of poisoning, neither antibacterial nor antiviral drugs are given.

Vomiting due to an infectious disease is treated completely differently than vomiting due to rotavirus, and some diseases can even be life-threatening for the child and require urgent surgical intervention.

However, if you are certain of the cause of the vomiting and are unable to call a doctor at this time, go ahead and monitor your child closely.

How to act in case of rotavirus?

If a child has rotavirus, he may vomit either bile or simple liquid. Such vomiting will be accompanied by a high temperature, and vomit can simply flow like a fountain, tormenting and frightening the baby.

First aid measures in this case will be standard, but watch how the child’s body reacts to drinking or saline solution. If even a few spoons of solution or water causes fountain vomiting, you will have to keep the child on a very strict diet for some time.

Vomiting due to rotavirus may be accompanied by an inflammatory process in the stomach. Then you need to prepare medicine for the patient: dilute three sachets of the drug “Smecta” and give it a tablespoon every ten minutes.

When the vomiting stops and the child is drinking normally, after six to eight hours you can try giving him something to eat. For the first days, the menu may contain: low-fat chicken broth without seasonings, white bread croutons, a hard-boiled egg, strong tea, porridge without butter and salt.

If vomiting persists for more than a few days, be sure to consult a doctor.

What to do in case of poisoning?

The first task in case of poisoning is gastric lavage. If you are sure that your baby has been poisoned by food or medicine, then you urgently need to cleanse the body.

You can rinse your stomach using the following means:

• plenty of plain water or warm mineral water without gas - about two liters;
• diluted pharmaceutical glucose-saline solution;
• a self-prepared solution - for one liter of water, one teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of soda and eight teaspoons of sugar;
• weak solution of potassium permanganate - dilute a little potassium permanganate powder in warm water to obtain a light pink liquid.

Please note that doctors usually do not recommend using potassium permanganate, since, among other things, it also has an astringent effect, which can further provoke constipation, as well as the retention of toxins inside the body.

This is possible when taking a very concentrated solution, so if you have already decided to rinse your stomach with potassium permanganate, make only a weak solution of a pale pink color.

Also be careful about inducing vomiting. Sometimes it's better to just let your baby drink plenty of fluids and wait for the vomiting to happen on its own, since by vomiting you risk damaging your baby's esophagus. If vomiting does not begin even after drinking plenty of water, then try to lightly and gently press your finger on the root of the child’s tongue, after washing your hands.

Washing can be considered complete when the baby only vomits clean water or a drunk solution without vomit. To enhance the effect of cleansing the body, you can give your child an enema, but monitor his condition and avoid dehydration.

After the vomiting stops, after some time, you can try taking activated carbon at the rate of one tablet per ten kilograms of body weight or another sorbent. If the vomiting does not stop and medications do not help, call a doctor.

You can feed your baby only a few hours after the vomiting has stopped. In this case, the food should be light and not plentiful, and it is better to follow the diet for a few more days.

How to act with increased acetone?

If a child’s urine or blood levels begin to increase the level of ketone bodies, then this condition is medically called ketoacidosis, that is, an increased level of acetone in the body.

As a rule, this problem worries children whose diet is disrupted; in addition, ketone bodies can accumulate in the blood and have their harmful effects during overwork, fasting and after poisoning.

This condition can be recognized by the pungent odor of acetone that will emanate from the child’s mouth or body. The baby may also complain of abdominal pain, nausea, which then turns into vomiting, and his temperature rises.

In the case of acetone syndrome, your task is to exclude feeding the child and ensure that he drinks plenty and frequently. You can give the drink in small quantities so as not to provoke new attacks of vomiting, for example, one or two tablespoons every five to ten minutes. An electrolyte or glucose-saline solution, and alkaline mineral water without gas, such as Borjomi, Polyana Kvasova or Morshynskaya, and even dried fruit compote or rosehip decoction without sugar are suitable.

When the vomiting stops completely, after a few hours you can give your baby some white bread crackers. On the second day, if the attacks do not recur, you can introduce rice water or a baked apple, on the third - any porridge cooked in water, and then, in the following days, gradually add light soup in vegetable broth, biscuits, lean meat or steamed fish, homemade kefir, etc.

By following a diet and not giving your child harmful foods, you will protect him from recurrences of acetone syndrome in the future.

What means and medications can be used to stop vomiting in children?

Once again, it is worth saying that self-medication is not encouraged by doctors and can be dangerous. In addition, doctors insist that Clinical signs You shouldn’t knock or interrupt, because then it’s very difficult to make a diagnosis and understand the original cause of vomiting and the overall picture of the problem.

So, drug treatment is possible only after examining the child by a pediatrician and following his appropriate prescriptions.

Medications

Let's take a closer look medications, which are usually used for vomiting.

• Antiemetic medications approved for use and safe for children: Motilium or Motilak, Cerucal, Metoclopramide, Domperidone.
• Sometimes the cause of vomiting is such that to eliminate it it is necessary to take various antiviral or antimicrobial (antibacterial) drugs, such as Enterofuril, which is prescribed for infectious vomiting.
• For severe pain, the doctor may prescribe antisecretory and analgesic medications or antispasmodics - intravenous or intramuscular solution“No-shpy”, “Atropine”, “Raglan”.
• At high temperature– antipyretics for children, depending on age.
• If necessary, sorbents will be prescribed, including Enterosgel, Polysorb, and the same activated carbon - black or white.
• “Smecta” helps well with nausea - acting locally, the medicine gently envelops the intestinal mucosa and does not allow microbes and toxins to be absorbed into the bloodstream, further slowing down the peristalsis of the digestive tract and reducing the urge to vomit.
• Another effective drug, which is often used for vomiting - “Atoxil” - it contains silicon dioxide, which acts almost in the same way as activated carbon, but much faster and more gently, so the medicine can significantly improve the condition of the child’s body and relieve unpleasant symptoms.
• To restore the electrolyte balance of the body, it is recommended to use the “Regidron” solution already mentioned above; it can also be drugs such as “Oralit” or “Glucosolan”.
• To restore normal stomach function, the baby can be prescribed probiotics or bacteriophages: “Lactobacterin”, “Bifiform”, “Linex”, “Hilak-Forte”, “Mezim”, “Bifidumbacterin”, “Bifikol”.
• If a child has severe diarrhea, he is prescribed Diarol, Calcium Carbonate, Imodium, Bismuth or Tanalbin.
• Intestinal infections will be helped by drugs such as Gentamicin, Ercefuril, Nergam, Ciprofloxacin, Ceftazidime, Furazolidone, Tienam and other drugs for the necessary antibiotic therapy.
• In especially severe cases, if none of the above helps the child, antipsychotics such as Etaperazine can be used to treat him.

When vomiting occurs, it is usually not advisable to give medications by mouth, because the child may vomit them back within a couple of minutes. It is more expedient to use intramuscular injections or drugs in the form of suppositories.

ethnoscience

There are many folk remedies and methods that are said to be very effective and help to quickly cope with vomiting at home:

• mint infusion - pour two tablespoons of mint leaves with boiling water (a half-liter container), leave to brew for half an hour, wrapped in a towel, and then let the baby drink up to four times a day or every three hours, ½ teaspoon - this folk remedy relieves spasms, has a choleretic effect and is good for vomiting with bile;
• lemon balm infusion - can be prepared and taken, like mint;
• green tea – an older child can be given warm, weak green tea with honey or sugar;
• baked or grated quince is an excellent folk medicine with vomiting;
• in case of severe nausea and incipient vomiting, you can prepare dill water for your baby, especially since it is suitable for children of any age - just pour a cup of boiling water (250 ml) over a teaspoon of dill fruits and leave to brew for forty minutes;
• grind the valerian root, pour boiling water over it and keep on low heat for another fifteen minutes - valerian infusion can be given for vomiting twice a day, a teaspoon;
• prepare ginger water - in a glass hot water dilute 1/6 of a bag of ginger powder, stir it well, leave to brew for twenty minutes, then strain and cool - the solution can be given three times a day, a teaspoon;
• you can squeeze the juice from fresh potatoes and take one teaspoon orally;
• An infusion of grated lemon zest also helps with vomiting;
• pour asparagus powder into a glass of warm water, dilute it and give it to the child to drink;
• followers traditional medicine recommended to use as antiemetic rye bread crackers soaked in warm water - just give this paste to your baby if he feels nauseous;
• Pear decoction will also help stop vomiting, but when giving it to a child, make sure that there is no fruit pulp that can harm the intestinal walls;
• if you have gooseberries ground with sugar and frozen, then they can also be useful for vomiting;
• Another antiemetic folk remedy is boiled barley flour at the rate of one tablespoon of flour per glass of boiling water - after boiling it a little, leave it to brew, and then cool it and give it to the baby.

Remember that you should not treat your child exclusively with folk remedies, because only a specialist can establish the exact cause of vomiting and understand what disorders in the functioning of the child’s body caused it to begin. Do not risk your baby’s health and do not self-medicate - it is better to call your pediatrician.

Upon arrival, the doctor will examine you and try to carry out the necessary diagnostics on site. To do this, he will have to find out the following points:

• time of onset of vomiting;
• the nature and frequency of attacks and periods between them;
• how vomiting is related to eating;
• what has the child been sick with over the past few weeks?
• whether he suffered infections, viral diseases;
• whether the child underwent abdominal surgery;
• how his weight has changed over the past weeks;
• what the parents themselves suspect as the reason.

In addition, the doctor will need to do the following:

• measure the child's temperature and blood pressure;
• determine the general condition of the little patient - check his reflexes, breathing, pulse;
• study the nature and volume of vomit and feces, understand whether there are impurities in them;
• inspect for signs of infection - seizures, rash, etc.;
• check the degree of dehydration of the child’s body - how much his weight has changed, the elasticity of the skin, in infants - whether the fontanel has sunk;
• check if there are symptoms of poisoning or those that indicate diseases of the digestive tract - perhaps the child has an enlarged liver, a swollen belly, or a tense abdominal wall.

If necessary, you will be asked to additionally take urine, feces and blood tests with your child, undergo an ultrasound or x-ray of the peritoneum, undergo fibrogastroduodenoscopy, neurosonography or other instrumental studies.

Also, if the pediatrician has doubts and suspects the baby has some kind of disease that can provoke vomiting, you will be given a referral for examination by specialists: usually consultations with a neurologist, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, cardiologist, or urologist are prescribed.

You will learn what parents should do if they are vomiting and have a fever from this video.

When and why should you stop vomiting?

Please note that there are situations when vomiting cannot be stopped under any circumstances.

As you already understand, nausea and vomiting can be considered a kind of protective reaction of the body to the ingestion of toxins or other irritating elements. That is, if harmful or dangerous substances have entered your baby’s body, and you do not allow them to come out, preventing the child’s gag reflexes and natural urges, then you will only aggravate and even worsen his condition, which can be life-threatening.

Be sure to make sure that the vomit becomes transparent or clear like water - this will mean that the baby’s body is completely cleansed.

At the same time, there are also opposite situations when vomiting cannot be induced:

• do not try to rinse the stomach of a child under one year old, as he may simply choke on the vomit;
• do not induce vomiting in an unconscious child;
• In no case should you induce vomiting if the baby is poisoned with gasoline, acid or alkali, because you can cause a burn to the esophagus - immediately call a doctor and give the child water to drink.

What to do if nothing can stop the vomiting?

Although vomiting can be a cleansing activity for the body, if it does not stop for a long time and no means help stop it, it is better to consult a doctor. The fact is that prolonged vomiting is fraught with serious complications and very dangerous consequences for the child's health:

• with abundant and frequent vomiting there are frequent cases of injuries or ruptures of the esophageal mucosa, injuries to the stomach or pharynx;
• a serious degree of dehydration with prolonged vomiting can lead not only to all sorts of pathological changes in the child’s body, but even to fatal outcome– this condition is especially dangerous for infants and small children, because they are more sensitive to any water deficiency, since their tissues contain a large amount of extracellular fluid;
• due to the leaching of salts and nutrients along with vomit, severe disturbances in water and mineral metabolism occur, which can cause malfunctions of internal organs;
• if vomit gets into respiratory system, then aspiration pneumonia is possible;
• A large amount of gastric juice entering the oral cavity corrodes tooth enamel.

Vomiting syndrome can be a symptom of very serious and dangerous diseases, including surgical ones, therefore, if attacks of vomiting are repeated and are accompanied by other bad signs, and the child’s condition worsens, do not waste precious time self-medicating at home, but urgently seek qualified medical help.

Preventive measures and actions after vomiting stops

After the child has stopped feeling sick and the bouts of vomiting have completely stopped, you need to do the following actions, which will alleviate the child’s condition.

• Wash, change your baby and put him to rest or sleep for a while. Stay in bed for a while to help your body recover faster.
• Continue to replenish the loss of salts and fluids - you can give the child the same “Regidron” at the rate of sixty milliliters of solution per kilogram of the baby’s weight in the first ten hours after vomiting and ten milliliters of solution per kilogram of weight for another four days after the attacks.
• You can also give your child large amounts of plain or mineral still water, herbal decoctions or herbal teas, rosehip infusion, jelly.
• The next day or twelve hours after the vomiting has completely stopped, you can start feeding the baby, but remember that the food should be light, gentle and not plentiful. Let's eat a little, in small portions - better less, but more often.
• You can start your meal with low-fat chicken broth or slimy soup. Then add buckwheat or rice porridge cooked in water, dried white bread or crackers, boiled vegetables, grated or pureed, lean meat or fish, steamed or in the form of a soufflé.
• For babies the best food there will be mother's milk.
• Eliminate from your child’s diet hot, spicy, fatty, salty, smoked, fried foods, processed foods, freshly squeezed and sour juices, legumes, sweets, raw fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, mayonnaise, ketchup or sauces, and other unhealthy foods that can irritate again. mucous membrane of the intestines and stomach.
• Monitor the child’s condition and well-being - if attacks of vomiting begin to recur again or are accompanied by other symptoms: unusual behavior of the baby, increased heart rate, severe pain, diarrhea or constipation, convulsions, cold extremities - consult a doctor immediately.

Concerning preventive measures that can prevent vomiting, they are quite simple:

• Teach your child to observe the rules of personal hygiene and be sure to follow them yourself - wash your hands before eating, do not eat unwashed foods, avoid eating in fast foods and street establishments, etc.;
• Make sure that the child’s diet is complete and balanced, provide him with high-quality and healthy nutrition;
• Always handle and prepare food in accordance with sanitary and hygienic requirements;
• carry out immunoprophylaxis - give your baby vitamins, boost his immunity, strengthen him, lead him healthy image life;
• treat the child correctly in case of infectious, viral or any other diseases - do not allow complications or relapses, isolate in case of epidemics;
• do not give your baby medications without a doctor’s prescription and do not self-medicate;
• exclude the possibility of poisoning a child with household, chemical or industrial toxic substances or medications;
• create a favorable psychological atmosphere at home, do not allow nervous stress or shock for the baby.

Vomiting is a fairly serious problem, and every parent has encountered it in practice at least once. The main rule during vomiting attacks is to remain calm and try to soberly assess the situation.

Remember that self-medication sometimes turns out to be too expensive, so when the slightest sign If the child’s condition worsens, consult a doctor immediately.

Most subjective an unpleasant feeling in children of any age it can become, which can lead to, but is also quite likely in itself. There can be many reasons for the manifestation of nausea in childhood, and the factors vary significantly due to age characteristics. But with nausea in children, it is always necessary to find out its cause and accompanying circumstances so that the child can be adequately assisted due to the fact that this symptom can be a manifestation of serious pathologies. Why can a toddler feel sick, what factors cause isolated nausea, without accompanying vomiting?

Nausea in children: what is it?

Among all the symptoms, nausea is a subjective and extremely unpleasant, painful sensation. It itself is not accompanied by pain, but is subjectively poorly tolerated, creating a feeling of fullness in the stomach with an irresistible desire to empty it. Although it is difficult to convey in words exactly the feeling of vomiting, even small children quickly and easily recognize this symptom and let their parents know about it. Against the background of many pathologies, nausea precedes vomiting, but can often occur in isolation, being a symptom of both digestive disorders and various serious problems of the body not related to the gastrointestinal tract.

Nausea is often accompanied by a sharp decrease in appetite, up to anorexia, as well as refusal of any type of food, even the most favorite dishes. Also, against the background of nausea, the child suddenly turns pale both in the face and in the body due to vascular spasm, his hands and feet become cold, severe anxiety and irritation develop, as well as lethargy and apathy. Against the background of nausea, specific urges and behavioral reactions appear externally, which allow parents to recognize the symptom.

Nausea is always an alarming sign for a child; if a child suddenly becomes ill, he has complaints of nausea (even without vomiting), it is important to establish the true causes of this symptom due to the fact that the causes can be digestive disorders, infections and toxicosis, as well as and mental disorders, neurological, tumor and other processes. Sometimes nausea without vomiting occurs as an acute psychotic reaction of a child to the actions of parents, mainly related to violence (physical or moral).

Reasons for the formation of nausea in infants and children in at different ages, starting with the infant, there can be many, but it is worth sorting out certain of them, which occur most often and can bother the child the most.

Poisoning, infection: mechanism of action

Manifestations of nausea develop abruptly, against the background of previous complete health, the first signs and mild nausea begin after 15-30 minutes or even 4-6 hours, depending on whether it is poisoning or the development of an intestinal infection. Initially, the attacks of nausea are mild and short-lived, but can gradually turn into a painful painful feeling, ultimately leading to vomiting. There may also be upset stool (), malaise, pallor, etc. Often several family members suffer, who, along with the child, used dangerous products and dishes, but the degree of expression in children is always brighter due to the immaturity of the body.

How can I help you?

Often, gastric lavage helps to eliminate dangerous toxins and food debris, taking it in the form of Polysorb, Polyphepam, etc., drinking plenty of fluids, a temporary change in diet with the intake of non-irritating food or a short break in nutrition to relieve digestion, nausea is gradually eliminated.

We recommend reading:

Infection with intestinal infections: mild course

The infection can be transmitted from sick children to healthy ones through unwashed hands when licking fingers, through shared toys contaminated with pathogens, through poor-quality food or water, including bathing, swimming in pools or reservoirs. Any surfaces and environments contaminated with pathogens can become dangerous.

If this is a relatively mild infection, there may only be nausea and minor intestinal upset, bloating and diarrhea, as well as lethargy and weakness, and irritability of the child. As the pathology progresses or is severe, nausea and vomiting are often combined, but if the intestines are predominantly affected, vomiting may not occur, and nausea itself manifests itself as a reaction to microbial or viral toxins, dehydration and temperature. The combination of certain symptoms and the severity of the condition depends on the specific type of pathogen, the age of the child and the severity of the lesions.

How can I help you?

It is important not to self-medicate, call a doctor and determine the cause of the infection, select a comprehensive treatment, including if it is a microbial process, as well as drinking regime And therapeutic diet to eliminate nausea.

ARVI, influenza, childhood infections, inflammatory processes

Under the age of 4-5 years, many severe childhood infections, and due to the symptoms, can cause nausea against the background of fever, malaise and headache, and the general unsatisfactory condition of the baby. The higher the degree of fever, the more likely nausea is, and the younger the baby, too. The mechanisms for the development of nausea during colds and infections are simple; they are associated with high sensitivity and stimulation of the vomiting center in a special part (stem) of the brain, especially against the background of irritation by toxins circulating in the plasma during infectious diseases. It has a similar effect on the vomiting center and the course of infectious and inflammatory processes - otitis, pneumonia, pyelonephritis; nausea is also typical for influenza.

Nausea in such pathologies is typical for a very severe and often complicated course of the pathology, with normal stool becoming its main features. Abdominal pain is also possible, and it can be the result of an infectious process.

Pathologies of the nervous system, trauma, brain tumors

Defeats central authorities regulation of all vital functions - the brain or spinal cord in children, as well as problems with the response of the peripheral nervous system can cause nausea. In this case it has a neurogenic (central) character. In children and adolescents, nausea also predicts or accompanies.

note

Often painful and almost constant nausea accompanies serious and dangerous pathologies, trauma or damage to the central parts - or encephalitis, and it also often forms as a reaction to a concussion-contusion of the brain.

This kind of nausea can occur either in isolation or accompanied by rare bouts of vomiting that do not bring relief; there may be severe headaches and double vision and disturbances of consciousness.

Neurological pathologies, along with nausea, are often accompanied by a general disorder - excitability or lethargy of children, their sudden tearfulness and whims, refusal to eat, regurgitation, decreased motor activity, prolonged sleep or.

At an early age, nausea is accompanied by heart-rending screams and hysterics, bulging fontanel, hysterics, neurological symptoms and fear of light. Fever and convulsions may occur, often with complete loss of consciousness, which is life-threatening and requires immediate calling an ambulance and hospitalization for examination in a hospital.

Surgical pathology, acute abdomen

Pathologies can often begin with nausea and malaise digestive system and abdominal pain. How more pain, the more often and more strongly it provokes nausea. Often, manifestations and development of any types of intestinal obstruction and some other pathologies begin with nausea and the appearance of pain impulses in the abdomen. This is due to powerful pain impulses into the brain area, leading to irritation of the vomiting center and provoking nausea. This is its central mechanism. Additional stimuli for the development of nausea are also fever during acute surgical pathology, intoxication with metabolic products and tissue death, and ischemia of intestinal areas. . Typical, under the ribs or throughout the abdomen, acute and sharp, nausea, screams and crying of the child, his excitement. Additional symptoms of danger are, against the background of nausea, retention of stool and passing of gas against the background of a sharply swollen abdomen. But stool liquefaction, one-time vomiting, headaches and toxicosis are also possible.

How can I help you?

You cannot give your child any medications (anti-vomiting and nausea, painkillers, antispasmodics), you must immediately call an ambulance and, if you suspect surgical pathologies, be hospitalized in a hospital for surgery.

Foreign body of the esophagus, stomach, intestine

Often, nausea can occur due to pathological impulses from the walls of the esophagus or stomach, less often from the intestines, when foreign bodies enter them. They can be fruit seeds, small toys, objects that, due to their sharp edges and dense structure, irritate the delicate mucous membranes and injure them. You can expect similar nausea that occurs suddenly against the background of preliminary full health in children of the first 2-3 years, who could be left unattended while eating or playing with small objects. Nausea often develops some time (not long) after a foreign object enters the digestive tract.

What to do?

It is necessary to immediately show the child to a surgeon, take an x-ray, or simultaneously detect and remove the object. Attempting to induce vomiting, taking laxatives, or otherwise attempting to independently remove foreign objects is prohibited.

Stomach pathologies, hunger, gastrointestinal tract

Nausea often occurs in children in the morning, immediately after waking up, and it is associated with severe hunger when gastric juice is actively produced or due to excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid by the walls of the organ. As a result of irritation by excess acid in the gastric walls, pathological impulses arise in the subcortical formations of the brain, and the vomiting center is irritated. Then nausea occurs, there may even be attacks of vomiting with acidic stomach contents or an admixture of bile.

Nausea may occur in the morning and during pregnancy, especially against the background of dietary errors, consumption of fatty, choleretic foods, large meals at night, and consumption of concentrated juices.

What to do?

It is important to conduct a full examination of the child, change his diet and drinking regime, make dinners lighter, and avoid snacking at night and in the late evening before bed. You need to stop drinking juices or dilute them with water in a ratio of 1:3.

Morning sickness, malaise

The appearance of nausea in the morning, in addition to digestive problems, can be a symptom Therefore, it is necessary to visit a neurologist and conduct a full examination. You may feel sick in the morning due to stress and anxiety before an important event - this is the so-called “bear disease”, hyperexcitability of the parasympathetic nervous system due to the powerful release of stress hormones. It can manifest itself not only with nausea, but also with diarrhea, constipation, bloating and pain, dizziness and panic, and a feeling of lack of air. In this situation, talking with the baby, calming down and taking lungs (drops, herbal teas, syrups, decoctions) will help.

Nausea in transport, motion sickness

Nausea often occurs as a result of overstimulation vestibular apparatus and the development of motion sickness, " seasickness" This is possible from an early age, 2-4 years, until adolescence, until all parts of the vestibular apparatus are completely formed. The more trained children are, the less likely they are to develop motion sickness. More often, nausea and dizziness occur in children who are excitable and capricious, prone to hysterics and impressionable. It is important to avoid long rides in stuffy transport, on a ship or in a car, and to accustom children to travel from childhood.

note

It is also important to exclude processes chronic inflammation in the middle ear, which can lead to the formation of motion sickness due to irritation of receptors in the ear and transmission of impulses to the brain and the vomiting center.

How can I help you?

If you need to travel due to motion sickness, special medications, drinking water in small sips, sucking sour candies, sleep or auto-training in fresh air will help.

We recommend reading:

Nausea as neurosis, hysteria

Children often begin to feel sick after violent and noisy games, sudden and powerful, prolonged overexcitation of the nervous system, both positive and negative character. Hysterics, crying and screaming, choking with tears often lead to nausea and even one-time vomiting, but after calming down, all symptoms disappear. This is due to the immaturity of the nervous system and its rapid overexcitation due to excessive stimuli and the release of excess stress hormones, hyperventilation (frequent and intermittent breathing during hysterics).

How can I help you?

It is important not to overexcite the child, avoid hysterics and prolonged crying.

Why is nausea dangerous?

The appearance of nausea (except for that which occurs against the background of hysterics and violent games, screams) is a reason for parents to worry and see a doctor. This is a sign of problems and various pathologies of the body, for which treatment is often necessary. It is subjectively more difficult for children to tolerate nausea, even than vomiting, because it does not bring relief and creates even more unpleasant symptoms. Although nausea is not a disease, but only one of the symptoms, it is important not to ignore such complaints. But while older children may complain that they feel sick, it is more difficult to recognize this in babies - signs of nausea include refusal to eat and drink, whims and periods of paleness, with perspiration on the forehead and contraction of the muscles of the pharynx and abdominals. If you sweat profusely, your legs and arms will be icy and pale.

What to give?

Diet

All mothers and fathers know very well that vomiting in children is not so a rare event. However, in practice, when faced with an attack, many are simply lost and do not know how to provide first aid to the baby, what to do and where to call. Authoritative pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky, the author of numerous articles and books on children's health, explains why vomiting happens and what adults should do about it.

About vomiting

Vomiting is a protective mechanism, a reflex eruption of stomach contents through the mouth (or nose). During an attack, the abdominal press contracts, the esophagus expands, the stomach itself relaxes and pushes everything that is in it up the esophagus. This rather complex process regulates the vomiting center, which in all people is located in medulla oblongata. Most often, vomit is a mixture of undigested food debris and gastric juice. Sometimes they may contain impurities of pus or blood, bile.

The most common cause of childhood vomiting is food poisoning. Vomiting can occur with various infectious diseases: rotavirus infection, scarlet fever, typhus.

Less commonly, this problem is caused by accumulated toxins; this condition can occur when serious illnesses kidney

Other causes of vomiting include diseases of the stomach and intestines, neurological diagnoses, and head injuries.

In children, vomiting can often be provoked by severe emotional shocks.

Kinds

Doctors distinguish several types of infant vomiting:

• Cyclic vomiting (acetonemic).
• Renal.
• Hepatogenic.
• Diabetic.
• Cardiac.
• Psychogenic.
• Cerebral.
• Bloody.

In most cases, vomiting in children begins at night. The baby wakes up from severe nausea. In this situation, it is important not to be scared or confused. Parents' actions should be calm and confident.

How younger child, the more dangerous vomiting is for him, since dehydration may occur, which for babies can be fatal.

One-time vomiting (without any additional symptoms) in a child should not cause much concern for parents, says Evgeniy Komarovsky. The fact is that this is how the body “cleanses” itself of accumulated toxins and food elements that the child could not digest. However, parental inaction can be fraught with tragic consequences in cases where vomiting is repeated, as well as if there are other symptoms indicating disorders in the body.

The most common cause of vomiting in children is food poisoning. Poison can enter a baby’s body through various foods: dairy, meat, seafood, vegetables and fruits.

In the vast majority of cases the gag reflex is caused by nitrates and pesticides, with which fruits and vegetables are processed. Even very high-quality meat products can cause severe poisoning if they are prepared incorrectly.

Evgeny Komarovsky emphasizes that the first symptoms of food poisoning usually begin to appear between 4 and 48 hours after eating. Quite often, you can stop vomiting caused by food on your own, at home.

However, Evgeny Komarovsky reminds that there are situations in which mothers and fathers should not engage in independent healing. Medical assistance require:

• Children from 0 to 3 years old.
• Children who are vomiting in the background elevated temperature bodies.
• Children who have vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain (all or just some of the symptoms) have lasted for more than two days.
• Children who are not “alone” in their illness (if other household members have similar symptoms

There are situations in which a child needs emergency medical attention as soon as possible. You should call an ambulance in one or more of the following conditions:

• Vomiting occurred after eating mushrooms.
• The vomiting is so intense that the baby cannot drink water.
• Vomiting is accompanied by clouding of consciousness, incoherent speech, poor coordination of movements, yellowing of the skin, dry mucous membranes, and the appearance of a rash.
• Vomiting is accompanied by visual enlargement (swelling) of the joints.
• Against the background of repeated vomiting, there is no urination for more than 6 hours, the urine has a dark tint.
• Vomit and (or) feces contain impurities of blood and pus.

While waiting for the doctor to arrive, the child should be placed on his side so that during the next vomiting attack the child does not choke on the vomit. The baby should be held in your arms, on its side. There is no need to give any medications.

In order for the doctor to quickly understand the true cause of the child’s condition, parents must remember in as much detail as possible what the baby ate over the last 24 hours, what he drank, where he was and what he did. In addition, mom and dad will have to carefully examine the vomit in order to then tell the doctor about its color, consistency, whether there is an unusual smell, whether there are any impurities of blood or pus in it.

Analyzing color

Dark vomit (the color of coffee grounds) may indicate serious problems with the stomach, up to peptic ulcer.

If there is an admixture of bile in the masses and there is a bitter-sweet smell, one may suspect a problem with the gallbladder and bile ducts.

Green color vomit may indicate the neurological nature of the reflex; vomiting in severe cases also occurs stressful situation when the child cannot cope with anxiety and feelings in any other way.

It is recommended to leave samples of vomit and feces of a sick child until the doctor arrives in order to show them to a specialist. This will facilitate the fastest and most accurate diagnosis of the true cause of the condition.

Vomiting infant may be a completely natural process of development of digestive functions, but it is better if this is stated by a doctor. Komarovsky emphasizes that vomiting in infants is often a completely expected cause of banal overeating if parents are too zealous in their desire to feed their child more and more calories.

Vomiting can also be of another nature - allergic, traumatic, and also inflammatory. In other words, this reflex accompanies a great variety of different diseases, some of which require prompt hospitalization followed by surgical care, and therefore vomiting attacks should not be underestimated.

So, parents should make every effort not to stop vomiting at any cost and try to treat something with folk remedies, but to carefully observe. It will be just great if they can provide the following information to the doctor who comes to the call:

• Frequency and periodicity of attacks (at what intervals does vomiting occur, how long does it last).
• Does the child feel better after the next attack, does the abdominal pain decrease?
• What is the approximate volume of vomit, its color and whether there are any impurities.
• What has the baby been sick with over the past year, over the past two weeks?
• What did the baby eat, and do the parents suspect food poisoning?
• Has the child's weight changed over the past 2 weeks?

If a child has some of the above symptoms, but is not vomiting, Komarovsky advises inducing the reflex on his own. To do this, you need to give the baby 2-3 glasses of warm water or milk to drink, and then gently insert your fingers into the oropharynx and move them slightly. You can lightly press the root of your tongue with your fingers or a spoon.

There is no need to feed the child anything. However, drinking is a must. At the same time, you should know that drinking water from a child who is vomiting is a whole science; it must be carried out strictly according to the rules. Firstly, says Evgeny Komarovsky, drinks should be small, but very frequent. A single dose is a few sips. Secondly, the temperature of the water should be similar to body temperature, so the liquid will be absorbed more quickly, which will protect the child from dehydration. When asked what to drink, the doctor answers that the best option is oral rehydration solutions or homemade saline solutions. If desired, you can give your child non-carbonated mineral water, tea, compote.

Under no circumstances should you add sugar, jam, or honey to your drink. If the child flatly refuses to drink what he is supposed to, offer him what he likes - juice or a sweet drink, but at the same time dilute it with water so that the resulting drink is as clear as possible.

It is useful to give activated carbon, but only in strictly designated proportions - 1 gram of the drug per kilogram of the child’s weight, no less. If the temperature has risen, you can give your baby an antipyretic, Paracetamol is best.