[Read]...Controlling vomiting among children

It is very difficult for any parent to see their child sick and it is especially difficult when they do not know what to do to help them feel better.

It is very common for children to develop stomach viruses or to begin vomiting due to eating something that does not go well with their systems. Most parents rush to the clinic, looking for immediate solution i.e. stoppage of the vomiting. This is not always successful, as some of the diseases presenting with vomiting may take a few days to be cured.

It should be noted at this point that vomiting (also called emesis) is not a disease but a symptom of many disorders.

Continue after the cut...

There are a few things that parents/guardians can do to help prevent their children from vomiting once they become nauseous. Some of these remedies are discussed below.

Vomiting is very common in children. It causes food and liquid to come up from the stomach and out of the mouth or nose. Vomiting is often a way that a child’s body keeps itself safe from harmful germs or substances.

Causes

In children, a variety of conditions can cause vomiting, the most common of which is viral infection (bugs) of the gastrointestinal tract, or gastroenteritis, also known as “stomach flu.

Bacterial infections and parasites in the gastrointestinal tract are other common causes of both vomiting and diarrhoea in children.

Malaria is a common cause of vomiting in our environment. Urinary tract infection in children also causes vomiting. Less common causes of vomiting include head trauma or brain injury, brain tumours, disorders of the liver, intestines, gallbladder and the pancreas. Some medications also cause vomiting and such will need to be given to the child with caution.

Some forms of vomiting are associated with cough as a result of chest infections. This is called post-tussive vomiting.

In the neonates (newborns) and infants, the causes of vomiting include infections, overfeeding, cow milk allergy and lactose intolerance.

Signs and symptoms: Other accompanying symptoms are

• Nausea (may or may not be present)

• Food that is in the child’s stomach comes back up through his mouth, nose, or both.

•  Fever, abdominal pain

• vomiting may be accompanied by diarrhea.

Because a child loses substantial amount of fluids with vomiting, especially if the vomiting lasts for more than 24 hours, it can lead to dehydration, which, if left untreated, can be life- threatening, dangerous and can lead to dry mouth, few or no tears when crying, fussiness, irritability in infants, fewer than four wet diapers in 24 hours, reduced frequency of urination and amount of urine at urination, fatigue, drowsiness, excessive sleepiness, disorientation, irritability, confusion, deep, rapid breathing, and rapid heartbeat.

Treatment

Vomiting is a symptom rather than a condition and treatment depends on the underlying cause. The physician’s role is to find out the cause and treat it appropriately. Regardless of the underlying cause or causes, children suffering from vomiting should drink plenty of fluid to replenish water loss from the body. Commonly prescribed fluids include oral rehydration salts (ORS), home-made salt-sugar-solution (SSS). Breast milk should be continued. Plain water should not be given to an infant younger than 12 months.

The use of anti-emetic and other over the counter medications to stop vomiting in infants and toddlers should be discouraged, as they are not really effective.

If a child’s vomiting does not go away in a couple of days, a pediatrician should be contacted for diagnosis of the underlying cause leading to the vomiting. In addition to physical exam and blood tests, sometimes imaging studies (such as ultrasound or X-rays) of the gastrointestinal tract may be needed.

In conclusion, seek medical help if:

• Your child has a fever

• Your neonate (newborn) is vomiting.

• Your child’s vomiting is getting worse.

• Your child will not drink the rehydration fluid or keeps vomiting up the ORS.

• Your baby has projectile vomiting after a feeding.

• Your child keeps vomiting up all liquids that you give him.

• You think your baby or child is dehydrated.

• Your child’s vomit has blood or material that looks like coffee nuts in it.

• Your child is acting very different than normal or looks very sick.

• You think your child ate or drank a poisonous food, plant, or substance.

• Your child is not thinking clearly, has a stiff neck, or very bad headache.

• Your child has bad abdominal pain that does not feel better after vomiting.

• Your child has painful urination.

•Your child has problems breathing.

- Rotimi Adesanya (roayad@yahoo.com)  

 Share your thoughts...thanks!