Vomiting in a child: how to help?

Vomiting is quite common in young children. The reasons for this are completely different. Sometimes it's food poisoning, and sometimes it's a symptom of a more serious disease that parents can't miss!

Source: Fotolia

Contents:

• Causes of vomiting in newborns
• Causes of vomiting in children after a year
• When to see a doctor
• What is vomiting?
• First aid for vomiting
• Feeding the child after vomiting

Vomiting is a natural protective process in the body that "turns on" when toxic substances get inside. Thus, the stomach self-cleanses, getting rid of substances that can harm health. Vomiting begins on the "signal" of the vomiting center in the brain, but impulses can be sent from different parts of the body and organs: stomach, liver, nerve endings, vestibular apparatus, depending on what exactly caused such a reaction in the body.[subscribe_form id=»215950″] It is important to understand that vomiting and regurgitation are different processes. Regurgitation occurs involuntarily, without any tension of the abdominal muscles, because a lot of air has accumulated in the stomach or the child has simply overeaten. Also, parents should take into account that the protective functions of the child's body are not working at full strength, which means that vomit can get into the respiratory tract! Be careful!

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Causes of vomiting in newborns

1. Even in the maternity hospital, in the first days of the baby's life, vomiting can make itself felt due to the ingestion of amniotic fluid. Usually, in this case, midwives provide the child with all the necessary medical care, and the condition returns to normal after a day.
2. If the breast-fed child begins to suffocate and these attacks are accompanied by vomiting, this may indicate a critical narrowing of the nasal passages. In this case, the child is inserted with an air duct so that he can breathe, and then treatment is started.
3. In the event that a child's vomit comes out with foam, such a disease as esophageal atresia cannot be ruled out. Most often, the disease can manifest itself even before vomiting: the baby will often grunt after feeding, and salivation will be quite abundant. The appearance of a bluish shade of the lips is also possible.
4. Vomiting with clots of bile, as well as green color, is a dangerous symptom for a newborn. If the child also has diarrhea, this may indicate congenital intestinal obstruction. In addition, secretions of this color can appear as a result of immaturity of the baby's intestines, infection or after oxygen starvation.
5. Vomiting in a newborn can be due to achalasia of the cardia, as well as due to malformations of one or another part of the stomach. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the baby urgently needs surgical intervention.
6. Often, the cause of vomiting in a newborn can be asphyxia, oxygen starvation, or intrauterine infections, such as herpes or toxoplasmosis. In such a condition, the child may also have squint, jerk his arms and legs sharply, and his chin may tremble. In order to make sure that everything is in order with the child's central nervous system, it is important to consult a neurologist and do an ultrasound of the brain.
7. If the newborn's vomiting does not stop for several days, adrenogenital syndrome cannot be ruled out. This disease of the adrenal glands can be accompanied by a sharp decrease in body weight, vomiting and enlargement of the genitals.
8. In addition to the reasons indicated above, it is also possible to note the child's intolerance to lactose, incorrect application, too frequent feeding, immaturity of the baby's gastrointestinal tract.

In order to find out the cause of the baby's vomiting for sure, contact the doctor immediately!

IMPORTANT! If the child vomited once, it does not mean that he is seriously ill or that there is some pathology.

Source: Burda Media

Causes of vomiting in children after a year

The causes of vomiting in children after a year can be very diverse: from infections to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Depending on the cause, vomiting masses can be strong or scanty, appear only once or at intervals, be mixed with bile or blood. Food poisoning, stress in kindergarten or school (and sometimes at home) can cause vomiting in children. If vomiting repeats repeatedly, and at the same time the child has a stomach ache, diarrhea and elevated body temperature, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor. So, the main causes of vomiting in children can be:

1. food poisoning;
2. infection with infections (ARVI, otitis, hepatitis, jaundice);
3. violation of the central nervous system;
4. vomiting as a symptom of acetonemic syndrome;
5. vomiting due to a stressful state (such vomiting is caused by excitement, fear, anxiety, anger. If the child's condition is not controlled, it can develop into bulimia or anorexia).

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When to see a doctor

It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor or call an ambulance if the child has the following symptoms:

1. apathy, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, vomiting repeats 3 or more times a day;
2. vomiting masses have a green, yellow or red (brown, bloody) color;
3. vomiting after trauma or impact;
4. vomiting for no apparent reason;
5. the child drinks very little liquid and refuses water;
6. vomiting is accompanied by abdominal pain and constipation.

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What is vomiting?

Very often, by the character of vomiting masses and their color, it is possible to determine the cause of vomiting and establish a diagnosis.

Types of vomiting:

• vomiting with mucus - if such vomiting is observed in a baby, it is often a normal reflex of the baby's body. Mucus from the nasopharynx can get into the baby's vomit when he overeats. In older children, vomiting with mucus may indicate inflammation of the gastric mucosa as a result of medication use. During food poisoning, flu and rotavirus, the child can also vomit with mucus;
• Vomiting with bile - this type of vomiting occurs quite often, especially with food poisoning, overeating of spicy or fried food. The color of vomiting masses can be both greenish and yellow;
• vomiting with an admixture of blood - such vomiting is very dangerous and indicates bleeding in the esophagus. If the blood is bright red, then the bleeding has started in the upper parts of the stomach or in the throat, if it is brown, then the stomach or the initial part of the small intestine has been damaged;
• bloody vomiting is often a symptom of a stomach ulcer, mushroom poisoning, or foreign objects entering the esophagus.

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First aid for vomiting

• First of all, vomiting is a stress for the child, so it is impossible to leave the ego alone in such a state. To prevent a small child from choking on vomit, it should be placed on its side and held in the hands in a vertical position or placed on a vertical surface.
• After each attack, rinse the child's mouth with boiled water at room temperature from a syringe. Also, wash the child's hands and face from vomiting.
• Do not feed the child or give him any medicine until the cause of the vomiting has been determined by the doctor.
• If the child vomits with blood, put ice cubes on his stomach - this will help narrow the blood vessels and the bleeding will be less active. It is impossible to drink in this case!

Source: Fotolia

Feeding the child after vomiting

If the child is vomiting, it is necessary to drain the baby to prevent the development of dehydration. Give water in small portions - 1-2 teaspoons every 10 minutes. If vomiting does not repeat, gradually increase the frequency and volume of liquid. It is possible and necessary to use special solutions for desoldering (Regidron, Oratov), ​​they will help restore the balance not only of water, but also of salts that are lost by the body during illness. At least 2 hours after the last vomiting, the child should not be given any food.

If the baby has no appetite for more than two hours, do not force him to eat, it is good if the baby can survive on a "starvation diet" for about a day. Bring the baby out of forced starvation gradually: for breakfast, offer sweet tea (perhaps herbal) with a biscuit or rusk, for lunch - mashed potatoes (on water, without butter) or soup on water with rice or oatmeal. Oatmeal, bananas are also possible, but dairy products and fresh fruits are not recommended. Gradually expand the diet within 3-5 days. Until the baby is fully fed, there is no need to give him enzyme preparations, but sorbents (Smecta, Enteros-gel, Atoxyl) will help to cope with the disease faster.