Spit up, burp cloths, blowouts, wipes, and bibs. All of these come with having a baby because they often project fluids over mom and dad. Most babies spit up or have diaper leaks because their little bodies are still learning to operate. These occurrences are normal and expected and not cause for concern.
However, what is not “normal” are instances when your baby cannot keep liquids down, they go through your baby’s system quickly over an extended period, or your child has dry mouth. When your child is vomiting or experiencing diarrhea, you want to find the cause and nurse them back to health as soon as possible.
Here are a few at-home remedies you can try to get your baby back to feeling their best.
What causes vomiting and diarrhea in babies?
There are many reasons that your baby may experience nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. It is essential to get to the bottom of it and determine the cause because knowing the cause can affect treatment options.
Knowing the cause will also help you understand how long their symptoms should continue and when to have their case medically reviewed.
Virus
The most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea in babies is infection from a virus, such as rotavirus or the stomach flu. Most viruses will run their course in 24-48 hours. They typically begin with vomiting, and loose stool may follow shortly after.
Motion Sickness
Motion sickness can be common in children and adults. It occurs when the brain receives conflicting signals from the senses.
For instance, if your baby focuses on something still inside the car, such as reading, but their body is experiencing jostling from the car’s movement, the brain may be unsure how to process the information.
Motion sickness begins with nausea and may produce vomiting if the confusing signals continue. The illness should subside shortly after vomiting or when the vehicle has stopped.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning will cause vomiting in children if you child consumes a food with a toxin or that is spoiled or undercooked. Food poisoning may cause the stomach to cramp and typically results in both vomiting and diarrhea.
In most cases, your baby will feel better once the body has expelled the toxin. Food poisoning usually does not last longer than 24 hours.
How to Treat Vomiting and Diarrhea at Home
For short-lived stomach bugs, motion sickness, and mild food poisoning, there are many steps you can take at home to keep your baby’s body healthy and allow their body to operate as it should and heal itself.
Prevent Dehydration
The most important task when dealing with a child who has repeated vomiting and diarrhea is to ensure that they continually take in small amounts of liquid to stay hydrated. Dehydration is often the number one side-effect concern in children suffering from vomiting or diarrhea.
It is crucial to ensure that you do not give your baby too much liquid at one time, though, as this can often irritate their sensitive stomachs and make vomiting worse. To keep your child hydrated, it is best to administer an oral rehydration solution (ORS), such as Pedialyte, by a teaspoon at a time (tablespoon if your child is older.)
Water is, of course, good for your baby, but an ORS consists of other ingredients that will help your child replenish nutrients quicker than plain water. You should drive your baby to the ER immediately if they show signs of dehydration.
Manage Nutrition
It has often been said that you should limit their food intake when they are sick with a stomach bug, but if your child feels healthy enough, you should let them eat.
It is best to stick to bland, soft foods such as white rice, bananas, applesauce, or plain toast. Continuing to eat if they feel well enough will help your baby stay healthy; thus, they may recover faster.
When to Seek a Doctor’s Attention for Baby Vomiting and Diarrhea
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you seek immediate medical attention for your vomiting baby if they are under the age of 6 months. If your baby is over 6 months, you should seek a doctor’s care if the condition lasts longer than 24 hours, there is bile present, or if they are showing signs of dehydration.
Regardless, it can give you peace of mind to seek medical advice from a pediatrician, who can give you a second opinion. It can seem like a risky task to load up your sick baby in the car take them to a doctor. However, you can schedule an appointment 24/7 with a Telemedicine Pediatrician and see them from the comfort of home.
For additional information about how Telehealth works, schedule a visit with us or call our office at (888).961.8885. We care about your baby just as much as you do and want to see them smiling and playing again.
