Pediatric Treatments for Vomiting Questions and Answers

There are many possible causes of vomiting in children, with different causes requiring different treatments. Some of the common causes of vomiting are:

– Stomach infection from a virus
– A food allergy
– Coughing
– Food poisoning
– Ibuprofen
– Motion sickness
– Migraine headaches

Vomiting can be accompanied by diarrhea or nausea. When vomiting happens by itself, it should stop within about 24 hours, but if it lasts longer, then you should consider more serious causes and seek medical care.

You can take your child to the doctor so long as the cause and symptoms of the vomiting are minor and non-life-threatening. There are some times when it’s important to take your child to the doctor, like when your child has:

– A fever of 102 degrees or higher, or fever of 101 for over three days
– Projectile vomiting
– A green color to their vomit
– Trouble retaining clear liquids
– Symptoms that worsen
– Signs of mild dehydration

Your child could easily be dehydrated due to the vomiting. Dehydration means your child’s body has lost a lot of water. You may be able to tell your child is dehydrated if you notice signs like:

– A dry mouth, lips, and tongue
– A faster heartbeat than what’s typical for your child
– There are no tears when your child cries
– Your young child hasn’t had any wet diapers for three hours or more
– Sleepiness or irritability
– Sunken cheeks or eyes, or a soft spot on the top of your young child’s head

With moderate or severe dehydration, there could be more significant and even life-threatening complications requiring emergency care at the ER (emergency room). With severe dehydration, a child may experience coma, organ problems, seizures, or other serious complications that necessitate calling 911.

Yes, so long as the cause and symptoms of your child’s vomiting are minor, you can and should take your child to urgent care! With minor cases, urgent care is a better option over the ER, as at the ER, they must treat major health matters before they can treat minor ones, but you won’t experience this kind of delay at an urgent care clinic. Also, for vomiting, urgent care can easily be a better option over your primary care physician, as with urgent care, an appointment isn’t necessary, so they can see you right away and treat your child right on the spot.

Much of the time, vomiting goes away on its own, and you can help by:

– Keeping your child off of solid foods for 24 hours
– Looking out for the signs of dehydration
– Keeping your child hydrated with extra fluids
– Keeping your child lying on their stomach or side
– Asking a doctor or pediatrician about having your child drink an electrolyte solution

There are some medical, pediatric treatments for vomiting, and the one your child may need may depend on the cause of your child’s case. Your child might benefit from an anti-nausea medication or another kind of medicine. A doctor or pediatrician can help your child rehydrate with electrolytes.

If you have any other questions about vomiting in children and treatment, or any specific questions for a doctor or pediatrician, you’re certainly welcome to reach out to us at Columbia Clinic Urgent Care! You’re also very welcome to come visit us if your child needs to be treated for a minor case of vomiting. We hope you found this article helpful and that you learned more about how to help your child! We serve patients from Portland OR, PDX, Tigard OR, Milwaukie OR, Cedar Hills OR, Cedar Mill OR, Lake Oswego OR, Oak Grove OR, Vancouver WA, Aloha OR, Minnehaha WA, Gladstone OR, Tualatin OR, West Linn OR, Fairview OR, Oregon City OR.