What should I do if my toddler's vomiting?
Throwing up is usually no cause for alarm. But in some cases it can signal a serious health problem. Here's how to tell when your toddler's vomiting needs immediate medical attention — and how to deal with vomiting that doesn't need a doctor's care.
Call 911 immediately if:
• Your toddler's having trouble breathing
• He shows signs of severe dehydration, like sunken eyes, cold, splotchy hands and feet, excessive sleepiness, fussiness, or lightheadedness, dizziness, or delirium
Take your toddler to the emergency room if:
• He has severe abdominal pain. Your toddler can't explain exactly where he hurts, but you know him best and can probably tell when he's in considerable pain. He could have a blockage in his bowel or some other problem that needs immediate attention.
• The vomit contains bile (a green substance) or blood that resembles dark coffee grounds. The doctor will probably want to see a sample of the vomit if it contains blood or bile, so as distasteful as it is, you should try to save some in a plastic baggie. Green bile can indicate that the intestines are blocked, a condition that needs immediate attention.
• He has a swollen, tender abdomen. This could indicate a buildup of fluid or gas, a blocked intestine, a hernia, or some other digestive tract problem. Blockages are uncommon but serious.
• He vomits more than once after suffering a head injury, which may indicate a concussion.
• He's vomiting and very irritable or lethargic. He may have a stiff neck, a hallmark sign of meningitis.
Call your toddler's doctor if:
• Your child has been vomiting for more than 24 hours. For some illnesses, this is perfectly normal, but check with the doctor to be sure.
• He shows signs of becoming dehydrated, including decreased urination (more than six to eight hours without a wet diaper), dry lips and mouth, crying without tears, lethargy, and dark yellow urine.
• The vomit contains blood. A little blood in the vomit is usually nothing to worry about, as the force of vomiting can cause tiny tears in the blood vessels lining the esophagus. Your toddler's vomit may also be tinged with red if he's swallowed blood from a cut in his mouth or a nosebleed within the last six hours. But call the doctor if he continues to have blood in his vomit or the amount increases. As mentioned above, if the blood resembles dark coffee grounds, go to the emergency room right away.
• He shows signs of fatigue and jaundice (a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes). Jaundice accompanied by pain in the upper right side of the abdomen may signal hepatitis.
Call a poison control center if:
• You suspect your toddler has swallowed something toxic. Call the American Association of Poison Control Center's national emergency hot line at (800) 222-1222 or your local poison control center immediately. If you can identify what he's swallowed — for example, you find an empty medicine bottle — tell the medical experts what it is, and they'll give you exact instructions for taking care of your child.
Experts used to tell parents to keep either syrup of ipecac or activated charcoal on hand for poisoning emergencies. But that's no longer the case: Ipecac is not an effective treatment for poisoning — most emergency rooms don't even use it anymore — and activated charcoal hasn't been proven a safe or effective remedy to give children at home.
Answered by
yoga sharma
, an ibibo Citizen,
at
1:17 PM on April 07, 2008
