Fort Worth, Texas,
21
October
2014
|
11:15 AM
America/Chicago

Throwing up's part of growing up

The Doc Smitty blog is for weak stomachs

Vomiting ... blah

Not much else to say here. To me, there is nothing worse than throwing up … besides maybe feeling nauseous all day thinking that any sudden move could make you vomit, but not.

It’s also never a good sign to see the child walk in the office with what is obviously the family puke bowl: some of my favorites are the very large silver metal bowl or the smaller plastic bowl with the paper towel inside …

My least favorite is the kidney bean shaped emesis basin that we provide to our families. Who pukes so politely that this thing will actually catch it all?

The most common cause of vomiting is gastroenteritis. This is usually a viral illness that is self-limited (meaning it goes away on its own with no treatment). If the vomiting lasts more than 24-48 hours, you need to call your doctor.

So, what do we recommend for vomiting?

Fluids, fluids, fluids

  • My favorites are Gatorade® or Pedialyte®.
  • Small frequent sips are the way to go (1 tsp every 5 minutes is 2 ounces in an hour which is more than enough for most children and not so much that it will cause vomiting); use the medicine syringe if you have a baby that won’t drink.

Close Observation

Watching your child for:

  • Activity level - a baby who is lying around and won’t wake up to drink, can’t stay hydrated.
  • Urine output - if the child is peeing every 6-8 hours, you’re probably OK.

If you see a change in either of these things, you need to contact your doctor. It is possible that your child is already dehydrated and may need some IV fluids.

So, good luck and happy cleaning…

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