Vomiting in Older Children: Care Guide

Mary is resting comfortably today, but last night at 8:30 PM she needed an IV for dehydration and low blood sugar. There's a right and wrong way to care for children suffering from stomach viruses. Since I found so much conflicting information out there, I want to put out some good information to help exhausted moms.

Thankfully, no one else is sick (yet).

After Vomiting

~ Wait 2 hours after vomiting, then give 1 tsp. of Gatorade (for older children), every 20 minutes. I tried a pediatric rehydrating solution (generic pedialyte), but since she didn't like it, it didn't work well. Older children prefer Gatorade, but it is second choice as it has too few electrolytes and a little too much sugar, especially for babies and toddlers. ER nurses say it's better to give Gatorade and give up on Pedialyte if you have to, to avoid a 5-hour ER visit for rehydration. The calories in the Gatorade do help if a child is sick for several days and must go without eating.

~If you don't have Gatorade, here is a recipe. Water by itself won't work well; they need sugary liquid, but not too sugary. Don't try homemade sports drinks containing orange juice.

~ Nothing acidic; and of course, no dairy.

~ Avoid apple juices and cherry juices.

If vomiting doesn't return after giving the teaspoons of Gatorade:


~ Slowly rehydrate by giving 1 - 2 ounce of Gatorade every 1 to 2 hours while awake (drinking slowly).

~ If vomiting returns, wait another 2 hours before trying 1 teaspoon of Gatorade, every 20 minutes.

Wait 24 hours after last vomiting to introduce solid foods - The most common mistake is to add solid foods too soon.

Rules for adding solid foods:
~ No dairy for 3 days
~ No fatty foods for 4-5 days
~ Nothing too sugary
~ Small amounts to start
~ Bland foods first, like saltine crackers, Cheerios, plain toast (Goldfish, Ritz, and other flavored crackers are too fatty and rich)

Signs of Dehydration
~ rapid heart rate
~ decreased urine output (no urination for 6 to 8 hours)
~ difficulty waking
~ dry tongue and dryness inside the mouth
~ no tears
~ can't keep eyes open or seems too lethargic
~ not wanting to talk

What To Expect At The Hospital

~ They will check for signs of dehydration and listen to your history of the illness.

~ Next, they'll take a small blood sample, while at the same time starting IV fluids, with an anti-nausea medication included.

~ If the blood test comes back with a low blood sugar reading, they'll add extra sugar through the IV.

~ After administering all the fluids, they'll give an ounce of Gatorade and wait to see if your child tolerates it. If no vomiting, they'll try another ounce of Gatorade and wait. If no vomiting and your child seems more alert, you will be discharged, possibly with a script for anti-nausea meds to get you through one day.

There's a 12-hour stomach virus, and a 72-hour stomach virus. Dehydration is more likely when vomiting lasts longer than 24 hours.

I've slept very little in 3 days, so my next piece of advice? Call in reinforcements, if you have them!

Avoiding Stomach Viruses

Transmission is always feces-hand-to-mouth, or through saliva, with stomach viruses.

~ Avoid sharing towels.

~ Try showers only until everyone is well.

~ Disinfect bathmat often, and especially after illness begins.

~ Never stop training them to wash hands after using the bathroom and before eating.

~ Wash hands when coming in the house from an outing, before preparing food, and after touching laundry or changing diapers.

~ Use hand sanitizer (alcohol-based) in the car after picking them up from school or events. Anti-bacterial hand gel/soap doesn't kill viruses.