Vomiting or emesis consists of violent and spasmodic expulsion of stomach contents through the mouth (food, gastric juice, bile). Vomiting is very common in childhood diseases (gastroenteritis, cold, otitis, angina ...).
And although they are not normally worrisome, there are certain alarm signs that indicate that you have to go to the emergency department for vomiting. The smaller the child, the greater the chances of dehydration, so we must be very attentive to babies who vomit.
According to the Spanish Society of Pediatric Emergencies (SEUP), we will have to go to the Emergency Department in the following cases:
- If the child is younger than 3 months and has vomited two or more shots.
- If the child vomits a lot, he does not tolerate solids or liquids or vomits even if he does not drink anything.
- If the vomiting is greenish, contains blood or looks like coffee grounds.
- If the child has any of the following symptoms: he is sleepy, decayed, thirsty, his eyes are sunken, he cries without tears or little urine.
- If they have a lot of abdominal or headache.
- We should also go to the hospital immediately if we suspect that vomiting has been caused by poisoning or heat stroke.
As long as these alarm signs do not occur, what we will have to do at home is to avoid dehydration, offering liquids to the baby in small quantities (breast milk to breastfed babies, juices or water to children), approximately, one tablespoon every 5 minutes.
If vomiting is accompanied by diarrhea it is preferable to use rehydration solutions sold in pharmacies. You should not use homemade solutions (alkaline lemonade), or commercial soft drinks.
If we observe that liquids are well tolerated, we can increase the frequency and quantity gradually. And finally offer him food (never forcing him) in small quantities.
We remember that in children under six months, regurgitation is normal, which should not be confused with vomiting, as it involves the non-violent expulsion of small amounts of milk after eating.
It is normal for vomiting to be mild and to remit gradually with the advice seen. But if the baby's vomiting occurs in the previous circumstances we will have to go to the Emergency Department to check the condition of the baby, find out the causes and control possible complications.
