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What to do if the child is vomiting. Vomiting in a child - what to do, treatment, symptoms, causes, signs

Vomiting is the involuntary expulsion of gastric contents through the mouth. This is the body's desire to cleanse the stomach of excess food, poor quality food or infection, as well as a reaction to excessive stimulation.

If healthy child vomiting occurs; the main danger is dehydration. Drinking plenty of fluids is a major concern for parents.

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL CARE

Vomiting associated with head injury or symptoms such as severe headache, stiff neck, severe abdominal pain, may be a sign of a very serious illness. Call immediately ambulance».

Infants who refuse to drink and do not latch on to the breast require special attention, as they can quickly become dehydrated. Repeated vomiting in a newborn requires immediate consultation with a doctor, as this may be a sign of birth defects.

In teenagers, frequent vomiting may be a sign of a serious digestive disorder or nervous system. In the latter case, the help of a psychologist may be required.

As a rule, vomiting goes away on its own and does not require any treatment, however, it will still be difficult for you to observe this process. A feeling of helplessness combined with a feeling of fear that some serious disorder may be the cause, as well as irresistible desire Doing anything to alleviate the child’s suffering will cause anxiety and internal tension. In order to treat this as calmly as possible, find out everything possible reasons vomiting, and what you can do if your child starts vomiting.

Causes of vomiting in children, child vomits

First of all, understand the difference between vomiting and simple regurgitation. Vomiting is a violent expulsion of stomach contents through oral cavity. Regurgitation (most often found in infants under one year of age) is a mild eruption of part of the stomach contents through the mouth, which is often accompanied by belching.

Vomiting occurs when there is sudden contact between the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm while the stomach is in a relaxed state.

This reflex action is caused by the “vomiting center” of the brain after its stimulation:

nerve endings of the stomach and intestines when the gastrointestinal tract becomes irritated or swollen due to infection or blockage;
chemicals in the blood (such as medications);
psychological stimuli, which are irritating sights or smells;
pathogens of the middle ear (as with vomiting due to motion sickness in transport).

The main causes of belching or vomiting depend on age. For example, in the first few months, most babies will burp a small amount of formula or breast milk within an hour of each feeding. This regurgitation, as it is commonly called, is the haphazard movement of food from the stomach through the tube (esophagus) that leads to the stomach, out through the mouth. Burping will occur less frequently if the child is forced to burp several times, and also if outdoor play is limited for a while after eating. As the baby grows, regurgitation will occur less frequently, but mild form it can persist up to 10-12 months of age. Regurgitation is not a serious disorder and does not affect normal weight gain.

In the first month of a child's life, a single case of vomiting may occur. If vomiting happens quite often or comes out like a fountain, tell your pediatrician about it. The cause may be nutritional problems, but it can also be a sign of more serious disorders in the functioning of the body.

Between two weeks and four months, persistent, severe vomiting may be caused by thickening of the muscle at the exit of the stomach. Known as hypertrophic pyloric narrowing, this thickening prevents food from passing into the intestines. In this case, urgent health care. As a rule, in such circumstances it is impossible to do without surgical intervention, with the help of which doctors manage to expand the narrowed part. A clear sign This condition is caused by severe vomiting, which occurs approximately 15-30 minutes after each feeding. If you notice this condition in your child, call your pediatrician immediately.

In some cases, regurgitation in the period from the first few weeks to the first few months of life not only does not go away, but gets worse - although not very strong, regurgitation occurs constantly. This happens when the muscles in the lower part of the esophagus relax and allow the contents of the stomach to pass out without holding in food.

This condition is called gastroesophageal reflux, which can usually be controlled in the following ways.

Thicken the milk with a small amount of baby instant porridge.
Don't overfeed your baby.
Make your baby burp more often.
After each feeding, leave the baby calm vertical position at least 30 minutes. If this doesn't help, your pediatrician may refer you to a gastroenterologist.

In some cases, infections in other organs of the body also cause vomiting. This includes infections respiratory system, genitourinary tract, ear inflammation, pneumonia, and meningitis. Some cases require immediate medical treatment, so regardless of your child's age, pay close attention to the following warning signs and call your pediatrician right away if you notice them:

blood or bile (a greenish substance) in the vomit;
severe abdominal pain;
severe, repeated vomiting;
bloated stomach;
apathy or excessive agitation of the child;
convulsions;
signs or symptoms of dehydration, including dry lips, lack of tears when crying, sunken fontanel, infrequent and less urinary volume;
inability to drink required amount liquids;
vomiting that does not stop for 24 hours.

Treatment of vomiting in children

In most cases, vomiting goes away on its own and does not require special treatment. medical treatment. Do not use medical supplies, which can be bought at any pharmacy, or medications available at home. The child can be given only those medications that the pediatrician has prescribed specifically for your child in order to cure this particular disease.

If your child is vomiting, try to keep him on his stomach or side at all times. This will help prevent vomit from getting into the upper Airways and lungs.

If your child does not stop vomiting and is vomiting excessively, watch for dehydration (dehydration is a term that means the body has lost so much fluid that it can no longer function properly). If it comes to serious complications, vomiting can become life-threatening. You can prevent this by making sure your child takes in enough fluids to restore the balance lost during vomiting. If this fluid comes back up in vomit, tell your pediatrician.

For the first 24 hours of any illness that involves vomiting, do not give your child solid food. Instead of food, try to get him to drink liquids such as water, sugar water (1/2 teaspoon, or 2.5 ml, sugar per 120 ml of water), sucking on popsicles, gelatin water (1 teaspoon, or 5 ml, gelatin with flavoring additives per 120 ml of water), and best of all, an electrolyte solution (ask your pediatrician which one is best to choose). Not only do fluids help prevent dehydration, but they also do not cause vomiting to continue as much as hard species food.

Here are some rules for giving your child fluids after vomiting.

Wait 2-3 hours after your baby's last vomit and give him 30-60 ml of cool water every half hour to hour for a total of four feedings.
If the child refuses, give him 60 ml of electrolyte solution, alternating with 60 ml clean water every half hour.
If vomiting does not occur after two feedings, add formula or milk diluted in half (depending on the age of the child) and continue to gradually increase the amount to 90-120 ml every 3-4 hours.
If vomiting does not occur within 12 to 24 hours, gradually introduce foods that your child usually eats, but still give him plenty of fluids to drink.

If your child also has diarrhea, ask your pediatrician about how to give him fluids and how long he should be excluded from the diet. solid food.

If your child is unable to retain fluid or has worsening symptoms, tell your pediatrician. The doctor will examine the child and may ask for blood and urine tests or take x-rays to make a final diagnosis. In some cases, hospitalization may be required.

Every child has had to experience these unpleasant sensations. In most cases, however, parents have no cause for serious concern. The most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea is a viral infection of the stomach (gastritis) or intestines (enteritis). Sometimes inflammatory process affects both the stomach and intestines (gastroenteritis).

Symptoms of the disease, as a rule, persist in the child for 3-4 days (sometimes weeks). Antibiotics in in this case will not help, since the disease is associated with a viral infection. Often, medications taken orally only further irritate an inflamed stomach.

What treatment methods should be used in this case? Yours the main task- prevent dehydration of the body. The child is not in danger if he drinks enough fluids. Therefore, your child should drink as often as possible, but in small portions. What drinks are preferable under these circumstances? Almost any - let the child choose.

If vomiting increases after drinking liquids, give your child a slice of cheese to suck on. School-age children usually have a good sense of their bodies and know what food and drink they need under given circumstances. If your child develops worrying symptoms (fever, abdominal pain, vomiting lasting more than 6 hours), be sure to contact your pediatrician.

In such cases, the child usually has no appetite. Let the child eat whatever he wants. We recommend foods such as bananas, toast, oatmeal, boiled rice, crackers. In most cases, within 24 hours after the vomiting stops, the child returns to his usual diet.

Sometimes infectious diseases gastrointestinal tract accompanied by acute pain in the area abdominal cavity. Acute pain can be a symptom of a more serious disease (for example, appendicitis), so in such cases you should immediately consult a doctor.

After vomiting, wash and change your child. Scent the room with water infused with lavender, rose, lemon or eucalyptus oils. This will freshen the air and repel bad smell vomit.

Drink to keep you going salt balance. This drink restores the balance of mineral salts and prevents dehydration. Do not use honey if your child is under one year old.

1/2 cup water (warm or room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda pinch of salt
2 tablespoons honey or sugar

Mix all ingredients. Give your child a tablespoon of the drink every 10 minutes or 1/4 - 1/2 glass every half hour.

How to make a salt pad

One of the most effective means if vomiting continues - a hot pad with salt. It is used to warm the stomach and reduce cramps.

Apply it directly to the stomach (not the entire stomach).

Heat 1 cup natural oil in a frying pan sea salt for 3-5 minutes until very hot. Pour the salt into a bag (such as an old pillowcase) and fold the bag several times to create a flat pillow. Its size should correspond to the area of the child's stomach.
Wrap the pad in a thin towel so as not to burn the skin and apply it to the stomach. If your child says it's too hot, wrap the pad again. It should be hot, but not scalding.
Keep the pad on until there is improvement. If necessary, after a 30-minute break, you can heat the salt again and repeat the procedure.

How much is too much? When they talk about pyloric stenosis

If vomiting becomes progressively worse and occurs more and more frequently, you and your pediatrician may suspect a condition called pyloric stenosis (pyloric stenosis). The pyloric sphincter is a muscle at the end of the stomach that acts as a pylorus. It allows food to pass into the intestines. Unlike its too-weak partner at the top of the stomach, this sphincter muscle can sometimes become too thick and strong on its own and do its job too “well,” having difficulty moving stomach contents further down into the intestines. The term "stenosis" refers to any narrowing. In the case of pyloric stenosis, the opening in the lower part of the stomach becomes increasingly narrow - narrower than it should be. The more difficult it becomes for stomach contents to pass down through this narrow area, the more often those contents rise up and exit through the mouth instead.

Pyloric stenosis occurs in approximately 3 in every 1,000 children and is much more common in first-born boys and those with a history of the condition in their families. Pyloric stenosis forces children to burp in the first few weeks, usually on the 21st to 28th day. Unlike normal babies who spit up or sometimes show violent vomiting, babies with pyloric stenosis vomit with increasing force and frequency, most often here we can actually talk about vomiting like a fountain by 6 - 8 weeks. If your child is vomiting constantly and increasingly, you need to contact your doctor, and the sooner the better. If your child is indeed diagnosed with pyloric stenosis, know that there is a way to stop vomiting. Children with pyloric stenosis require surgery to widen the pyloric muscle of the lower stomach. Children usually recover quickly and begin to eat normally within a couple of days after surgery.

Fountain vomiting in a child

Fountain is a word that has often been used in the context of regurgitation and vomiting. Some parents vividly describe their child's vomiting as "a gunshot across the room." While relatively mild spitting and vomiting may cause fluid to “jump” or “fly” a few inches out of your baby's mouth, true fountain vomiting is more forceful, greater distances, etc. If it occurs regularly, it may indicate quite serious problems. Read on to get more information.

Gag reflex and salivation

Some children have increased vomiting reflex than others, which, on the one hand, is very good, since the gag reflex protects food (or in the case of a newborn, breast milk or infant formula) from “getting where it shouldn’t,” in particular, into the lungs. On the other hand, a child who is vomiting or has profuse salivation, of course, is very frightening for parents. If your baby is vomiting or has trouble breathing while feeding, you can quickly lift him upright, pat his back, turn his head to the side or tilt him down slightly to allow milk or saliva to flow out of his mouth and allow him to regain his breathing. In almost all cases, children recover quickly from such episodes on their own. If your child has frequent episodes like this, or especially if he or she stops breathing even briefly or turns blue when vomiting or coughing, be sure to seek advice from your doctor.

What should I give my child if he is vomiting?

Most often, when you think your baby is vomiting, it is simply burping from eating too much too quickly or reflux. However, vomiting in newborns requires medical evaluation because it may be a sign of a more serious illness or lead to severe dehydration. Your pediatrician may recommend that you next time Feed your baby less and see if he burps? However, if the vomiting does not stop, you need to go to the doctor or even call an ambulance.

If the vomiting becomes very strong (reaches to the other side of the room), if it is profuse, happens frequently, or after two or more feedings in a row, it is time to call the doctor. Also, if there is bright red blood or dark brown "coffee beans" in your vomit, or anything else bothers you, call your doctor or 911 immediately.

If your child is vomiting a lot, it is best not to give him anything. When the vomiting stops, try giving only liquids, often and very little at a time. Start with one teaspoon every 10 minutes; If the child does not vomit within an hour, you can gradually increase the portions. The pediatrician may recommend starting with electrolyte solutions (Pedialita, Infalita or Likvilita). After a few hours, if the vomiting does not return, your doctor may recommend giving you some milk again (breast milk, cow's milk, or formula) or whatever your baby drinks, and then gradually return to normal amounts after a few feedings. Many parents make the same mistake: when the child is thirsty, they give him a lot at once. If a child has stomach problems, everything he drinks will immediately come back out. It is best to avoid solid foods - limit yourself to liquids for the next few hours after vomiting stops. If you introduce solid foods, do so very carefully and gradually. Start with no large quantity simple food - for example, give one spoon of rice cereal or one cracker, wait half an hour and see what happens next.

Call the doctor if your child cannot drink even small amounts of liquid without vomiting, if the vomiting does not stop for several hours, if there is bright red blood or dark brown coffee beans in the vomiting, or if the child has symptoms of dehydration.

When should you start worrying about dehydration?

When a child is sick, dehydration is a constant concern, especially if the infant or small child vomits, with or without diarrhea: in this case, he quickly becomes dehydrated. To prevent this from happening, when your child doesn't feel well, give fluids often and in small amounts unless he vomits.

In newborns, dehydration occurs very quickly. Don't wait until the signs appear (listed below for babies and children one to three years old). If your newborn is vomiting, drinking less than usual, wetting their diapers too little, or soiling their diapers, call the doctor.

Should call pediatrician if the child does not retain even a small amount of liquid in the stomach, vomiting does not stop for several hours, diarrhea does not stop for several days, or there are other signs of dehydration: too few wet diapers, lack of energy, no tears, dry lips and tongue, sunken fontanelle (soft area on the head), irritability or sunken eyes.

How to keep liquid in your stomach

To avoid ending up in the hospital and avoiding intravenous infusions, remember the recipe below for children from one to three years old. If your child vomits, return to the previous step. If vomiting continues, be sure to call your doctor or call an ambulance. If you are an infant, it is best to consult your doctor before implementing this or any other plan. Like many recipes (even from grandma's kitchen), it can be slightly modified to achieve results. The ultimate goal is this: starting small, gradually increase portions to 120-240 ml over a few hours.

Hour 1 - nothing.
Hour 2 - 1 teaspoon of electrolyte solution every 10 minutes.
An hour 3-2 teaspoons of electrolyte solution every 15 minutes.
Hour 4 - 15 ml of electrolyte solution every 20 minutes.
Hour 5 - 30 ml of electrolyte solution every 30 minutes.
Hour 6 - carefully and gradually return to normal liquid food (milk or formula).

If it happened child vomiting, especially several times, then even the most balanced mothers have many questions and panic begins. To get your bearings and answer all the questions correctly, you need to know at least in general terms main causes of vomiting in children and be able to distinguish them.

Vomiting can occur in a child at any age, but the younger the child, the more likely it is to occur. At the same time, the phenomenon of regurgitation is also common among the youngest.

Spitting up is associated with the anatomical and physiological immaturity of the baby’s digestive system, which begins to form during the mother’s pregnancy.

In fact, during regurgitation, it is not so much food that comes out of the baby as the air swallowed during eating.

During regurgitation, the child does not experience physical discomfort, nausea, or unpleasant urges. The abdominal muscles do not take part in this process.

Vomiting is a reflex act with the release of the contents of the stomach and esophagus into the oral cavity. Usually at this time the child experiences the same unpleasant sensations as an adult.

Vomiting is accompanied by nausea, pallor, anxiety, increased heart rate, cold hands and feet, and sweating.

Causes of vomiting in children

Vomiting in a child can happen for many reasons. Let's talk about them in more detail, starting with the most common and ending with the rarest.

1) Acute intestinal infections.

Since viral and bacterial infections affect the stomach and various parts of the intestines, vomiting is often accompanied by a set of other specific symptoms. Usually these are fever, abdominal pain, loose stools, loss of appetite and varying degrees of dehydration.

With intestinal infections, vomiting is defense mechanism- an attempt by the body to get rid of viruses or microbes, as well as part of the food. This cause of vomiting is unlikely in a child in the first months of life if he is exclusively breastfed.

2) Overfeeding.

Excessive regurgitation or vomiting can occur during overfeeding, even in adult babies. Most often this happens to children who are not fed breast milk, but mixtures.

Such vomiting occurs without the participation of the abdominal muscles, it is not preceded by nausea and vomiting.

3) Eating air.

You can swallow air with any type of feeding. This usually happens when the baby sucks on the breast or bottle too greedily. As a result, children experience bloating, colic begins, the organs of the digestive system become overexcited.

This type of vomiting occurs immediately after feeding. Most often it is accompanied by anxiety and abdominal pain.

4) Fever.

Such vomiting occurs against a background of high temperature due to ARVI, influenza, sore throat, otitis media or pneumonia.

Usually, vomiting occurs at the peak of fever and goes away quickly after the temperature drops. Vomiting for this reason rarely occurs in children over 3-5 years of age.

5) Cough.

In small children who do not yet know how to cough, vomiting can occur during severe coughing attacks, for example, with tracheitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, whooping cough and other diseases.

6) Kinetosis (sickness).

This is the most easily identified type of vomiting. Traveling in public transport causes irritation to the still immature vestibular system in many children.

7) Toxicosis and poisoning.

Toxic vomiting syndrome occurs as a result of exposure to substances (toxins) directly on the vomiting center of the brain or due to irritation internal organs and the arrival of impulses in the brain.

This happens when there is a metabolic disorder when renal failure, renal pathology and diabetes, in case of disruption of the adrenal glands. Also, toxic vomiting can occur due to poisoning with alcohol, drugs, household chemicals, plant poisons.

8) Diseases of the digestive system.

Vomiting without fever or signs of infection, but in connection with food intake can be a symptom of gastritis, ulcers, disorders of the liver, pancreas and gall bladder.

Such vomiting occurs due to errors in nutrition, excessive consumption of spicy, fatty foods or sweets.

9) Psychological vomiting.

This type of vomiting occurs in emotional children and is associated with excessive excitability of the nervous system. Most often, psychological vomiting is provoked by stress.

With psychological vomiting there is no intoxication or fever, but abdominal pain and stool upset are possible. As soon as the traumatic factor ceases to act, vomiting stops.

10) Neurological problems.

Vomiting can be one of the symptoms of damage to the central nervous system. If this lesion occurred as a result of birth trauma, then the child will vomit in the first few months after birth. It occurs due to irritation of the vomiting center in the brain. Another cause of vomiting is exposure to toxins.

11) Pylorospasm.

Spasm of the pylorus (pylorospasm) is a disease that is caused by immaturity of neuromuscular connections. This disease is diagnosed in one child out of 1000.

12) Pyloric stenosis.

Pyloric stenosis is a dangerous surgical pathology - a congenital defect of the outlet of the stomach. This disease occurs in one child out of 5-10 thousand. The main symptom of pyloric stenosis is very profuse vomiting in the first days of life immediately after feeding.

Vomiting with appendicitis occurs suddenly, without connection with food intake. It is repeated many times, but does not bring relief. Possible increase in temperature. The main symptom of acute appendicitis is the combination of such vomiting with sudden and sharp pain in the stomach or right side.

14) Intestinal obstruction.

Suspicion of this congenital pathology may arise if a newborn child’s vomiting is accompanied by a lack of stool, but at the same time blood is released from the anus.

If there is intestinal obstruction, the baby has a “dumb” tummy. The child is pale and screams (the scream intensifies when the tummy is touched).

What to do if a child is vomiting?

The algorithm of actions for parents when a child vomits should be as follows:

1. Call a doctor at home, or in case of a serious condition, call an ambulance.

2. Pull yourself together and calm the child.

3. Lay or sit the baby down, raising his head (so that vomit does not enter the respiratory tract).

4. After the next attack, wipe the baby’s face with a damp towel, give him a little drink or rinse his mouth, and, if necessary, change his clothes.

5. If you suspect ingestion of a toxic substance, then rinse the stomach before the ambulance arrives: let the child drink 2-3 glasses of warm water, then press on the root of the tongue, inducing vomiting.

6. At frequent vomiting To prevent dehydration, give your child a drink (1 tablespoon of liquid every 5-10 minutes).

7. If vomiting does not recur and the baby asks for food, then give him some porridge or applesauce.

Interesting materials:

Vomit - A fairly common occurrence in a child’s life. Moreover, than younger baby, the more often he may suffer from periodic vomiting. A child may vomit for a variety of reasons. various reasons. At the same time, parents should understand that such an important symptom cannot be ignored.

In some cases, you can determine why a baby is vomiting by the nature of the vomit. But still, in most cases, vomiting in a child indicates that he urgently needs medical help.

Mechanism of vomiting

When vomiting, a sudden emptying of the stomach occurs, the contents of which are expelled through the mouth. Vomiting in children, as well as in adults, begins due to the action of the vomiting center, which is located in the human medulla oblongata. The vomiting center can be excited due to the receipt of impulses from the stomach, liver, intestines, uterus, kidneys, vestibular apparatus person. It can also be affected by irritation of the nerve centers. A striking example is the onset of vomiting if a person smells an unpleasant odor. In addition, stimulation of the vomiting center can occur due to the action medicines, toxic substances.

Before vomiting occurs, nausea develops, breathing becomes intermittent and rapid, and salivation increases.

The direct mechanism of vomiting is as follows: initially, a person’s diaphragm lowers, the glottis closes (thanks to this, vomit does not enter the child’s respiratory tract), a spasm of the lower part of the stomach occurs, at the same time, its upper part relaxes. Due to the rapid contraction of the abdominal muscles and diaphragm, the contents of the stomach are expelled and vomiting occurs.

Causes of vomiting

Vomiting in children can develop for a variety of reasons. It can be provoked by infectious diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, surgical ailments, diseases of the central nervous system, teething in a baby, etc. Depending on the exact reason that provoked vomiting, it can occur once or repeatedly, be scanty or profuse. Vomiting may also occur after certain periods of time. So-called acetonemic vomiting manifests itself as a result of excessive accumulation acetone bodies in the child's body.

Before providing help, you need to determine the cause of vomiting. This will help to study the nature of the vomit. It is important to know whether there is digested or undigested food in it, whether there is blood, bile, or mucus in the masses.

In addition, you need to understand what exactly is happening to the child - vomiting or regurgitation. As a rule, the baby regurgitates without tension in the abdomen. This phenomenon is a consequence of the stomach being full of food or air. In this case, any anti-vomiting medicine for children will not have any effect.

The main danger is that the mechanisms in infants may be imperfect. As a result, there is a high risk of vomit getting into the baby’s respiratory tract. However, as the child grows up, this mechanism improves, and in 3-year-old children it already works more smoothly.

In children of the first years of life, vomiting is most often observed during acute infections, as well as food poisoning. In older children, vomiting is most often the result of gastrointestinal pathologies , diseases of the central nervous system , psycho-emotional disorders .

If an infectious process develops in the child’s body, vomiting is accompanied by severe nausea, fever, weakness, etc. Severe vomiting may accompany viral hepatitis .

Surgical diseases of the abdominal cavity are another cause of vomiting against the background of pain, constipation, diarrhea and other symptoms. Thus, manifestations of vomiting are often observed with, Diveticulitis , intestinal obstruction , and other diseases. When establishing a diagnosis, the doctor is necessarily interested in the characteristics of the vomit and vomiting itself, and prescribes additional studies.

Vomiting in children without fever may indicate the development of diseases of the central nervous system. This symptom manifests itself with increased, inflammation of the meninges , and other diseases. Night vomiting sometimes indicates brain tumors .

Treatment of vomiting in children at home can be carried out only if there are no dangerous symptoms indicating the severity of the disease. Parents of infants should be especially careful about vomiting. So, vomiting in a baby should alert parents if the erupted masses contain blood or brown inclusions. An alarming symptom is frequent vomiting in a child, which appears more than 4 times within 2 hours. In this case, immediate treatment is required, since the baby’s body becomes dehydrated very quickly. In addition, you should immediately consult a doctor if your baby’s body temperature rises when vomiting, or a semi-conscious or unconscious state is noted. Only a specialist can tell you what to do in this case, determine the causes of vomiting and prescribe treatment. You should immediately call a doctor if vomiting occurs after the baby falls, head injury, or complete absence chair. Strong pain in the stomach - another one warning sign. If the child is over 2 years old, he can tell his parents about it. In younger children, pain syndrome is determined by characteristic behavior. All the described signs require immediate monitoring of the child’s condition by a specialist. Therefore, you need to immediately call “ ambulance».

Before arrival emergency care Under no circumstances should you leave your baby unattended. If a child is vomiting without fever, then no action should be taken until the doctor arrives. active actions. The child needs to rinse his mouth after vomiting. If we are talking about a baby, then he can rinse his mouth boiled water using a 20 cc syringe. This will help avoid irritation.

In case of a sharp increase in body temperature, the child can be wiped with a damp towel before the doctor arrives. Wet rubbing can be practiced if the temperature is 39 degrees or higher. Severe weakness in a child when vomiting provokes a lack of appetite, so there is no need to feed a baby who is suffering from vomiting.

Why does vomiting occur in newborns?

Vomiting in a baby in the first day of life is usually observed if the newborn has swallowed a lot of amniotic fluid. At this time, the child is usually under the supervision of doctors in the maternity hospital. If vomiting appears some time after the birth of the child, and breathing problems and periodic breathing are noted, then these may be signs Choanal atresia (severe narrowing or closure of the nasal passages). Vomiting in newborns is sometimes a sign of congenital obstruction of the esophagus.

If in the first few days after the birth of a child he vomits, to which bile, greens, feces, then the doctor may suspect intestinal obstruction, as well as intestinal damage due to sepsis, infectious lesions, or intestinal immaturity.

Except stated reasons vomiting in infants can occur due to disturbances in the functioning of the cardiac sphincter of the stomach, abnormal development of the pyloric part of the stomach, or with lesions of the central nervous system. Vomiting can also be caused by immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract, lack of rational feeding, etc.

However, parents should understand that one-time vomiting in infants is not necessarily a symptom of a serious pathology. A baby who has just vomited should be held upright for a while and fed after some time.

As a rule, a single vomiting in a newborn or infant happens after feeding. Therefore, after eating, it is recommended to hold the child in an upright position for a while.

Psychogenic vomiting

Separately, the occurrence of vomiting under the influence of psychogenic factors should be highlighted. Vomiting in a child can be a consequence strong fear, anger, excitement. In addition, diseases with a mental component are defined as psychogenic causes of vomiting, and bulimia . Doctors also determine the so-called demonstrative vomiting , which is the result of the child’s desire to attract attention to his own person. Vomiting in infants and older children is also possible in case of forced feeding. In this case, the contents of the stomach may erupt in a fountain after feeding. The temperature does not increase, general state the child remains normal. Although parents should pay close attention to this symptom and be sure to rule out other causes of vomiting in infants. The pediatrician will explain in detail what to do in case of frequently recurring episodes of such vomiting.

Sometimes psychogenic vomiting manifests itself cyclically, in the form of attacks, while other disorders of a vegetative nature are also observed. In this case, parents should definitely take their child to see a neurologist. If vomiting occurs once, parents should follow a wait-and-see approach, provide rest and drinking plenty of fluids. He should drink in small portions.

Acetonemic syndrome

Sometimes repeated vomiting is a result of the baby developing acetone crisis . This condition is characterized by the accumulation of large amounts of acetone and acetoacetic acid in the child’s blood. This syndrome develops in children with severe illnesses. In addition, cases of primary acetone syndrome have been reported. In this way the body reacts to pain, dietary habits, powerful emotions. During acetonemic crisis there are cramping pain in the stomach, nausea, body temperature rises. The smell of acetone can be felt in the urine, vomit and air exhaled by a sick child.

Such symptoms are a reason to contact a pediatrician. The child does not need to be given any food for 6-8 hours. The baby should be given water frequently, at intervals of 15 minutes. It is recommended to drink alkaline mineral water, decoction of dried fruits. If the child refuses to drink, the liquid is administered to him with a syringe or pipette. During an acetone crisis, the drinking rate is 100 ml of liquid per 1 kg of body weight.

First aid for vomiting

Parents must be sure to ensure that vomit does not enter the child’s respiratory tract. If the baby starts vomiting during feeding, then feeding should be stopped for two hours. To prevent vomit from entering the child’s respiratory tract, be sure to turn him on his side and hold him semi-vertically, or pick him up and hold him in an upright position.

Before the pediatrician arrives, the child should drink liquid in small portions. At the same time, you cannot rinse the stomach yourself or give your child medications.

One of the most frightening symptoms in a child, which always worries young and even experienced parents, is vomiting. A lot of questions immediately arise - what to do, how and how to help the child, do you need a doctor or can you cope on your own? In order to provide assistance correctly, it is necessary to know at least in general terms the main causes of vomiting, be able to distinguish them and correctly provide first aid.

Causes of vomiting in children.
Vomiting can occur in children of any age from infants to teenagers, but why younger child, the more naturally it occurs. In babies of the first year of life, vomiting must be distinguished from regurgitation, physiological phenomenon in the digestive system, arising due to the anatomical and physiological immaturity of the digestive system.

So - let's talk about the main causes of regurgitation and vomiting in normal and pathological conditions.

Regurgitation.
The norms for infants and artificial babies are not frequent regurgitation, approximately 2-3 times a day, up to 2 tablespoons of content, lasting up to approximately 6-9 months.

Excessive regurgitation or even vomiting can occur during overfeeding, even in healthy babies, this usually happens with artificial people who dilute the mixture not according to the calculated volume based on the actual weight, but according to the numbers indicated on the cans of the mixture (often greatly inflated). Then regurgitation or vomiting occurs without the participation of the abdominal muscles, there are no disturbances in well-being, and the process is not preceded by nausea and vomiting. This process is not dangerous and only requires recalculation of the amount of food with the pediatrician - with their correction, regurgitation is reduced or disappears completely.

In infants, the cause of regurgitation or even vomiting (sometimes even a fountain) is an improper latch on the breast with swallowing a large amount of air, or infrequent feedings with excessively greedy sucking. As a result, bloating occurs with the occurrence of colic and, as a result, overstimulation of the digestive system with regurgitation. This condition is also not dangerous for the child, but it requires consultation with a breastfeeding specialist and correction of attachment.

Frequent and persistent regurgitation can be symptoms of a neurological pathology, therefore, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician to clarify the volume of feeding, and then a neurologist.

Vomit.
Vomiting is a conditioned reflex act with the release of contents from the stomach and esophagus into the oral cavity. Vomiting is accompanied by nausea, pallor of the child, restless behavior, increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure, cold hands and feet, and sweating. When vomiting, a characteristic sound occurs due to contraction of the abdominal muscles with the participation of the muscles of the neck and pharynx. In most cases, vomiting brings discomfort to the child (unlike regurgitation).

Causes of vomiting in newborns.

In children early age Parents should be alerted to a fountain of vomiting in a volume exceeding the volume of what was eaten in the first 2-4 weeks of life. Vomiting appears immediately after feeding, profusely, with an admixture of bile, the child does not gain weight, and is restless. The child urinates very rarely, he rarely has stool. This is a symptom of a dangerous surgical pathology - pyloric stenosis, a defect in the outlet of the stomach, a very narrow opening between the stomach and small intestine, practically preventing food from passing into the intestines.
Measures to help such a child include hospitalization in a hospital for reconstructive surgery with pyloric plastic surgery. After discharge from the hospital, the child leads a normal life.

Another cause of vomiting can be pyloric spasm (pylorospasm); this disease occurs due to immaturity of neuromuscular connections and untimely relaxation of the muscle after feeding. Girls are more often affected; it is characterized by periodic vomiting from the first days of life, of small volume and not constantly. Vomit usually contains food mixed with bile. Children do not lose weight, although weight gain may be slow. Relief measures include more frequent feedings smaller volume, and supervision of a neurologist and pediatrician.

Another cause of vomiting in young children with a lack of stool or blood discharge from the anus is intussusception or intestinal obstruction. With such vomiting, the stomach is mute, peristalsis cannot be heard, the child is pale, screams and does not allow the stomach to be touched. He must be immediately taken by ambulance to a surgical hospital and operated on.
Attention! Persistent vomiting in newborns and children in the first months of life is not harmless. This is always either a surgical or neurological pathology. They require immediate medical attention.

Vomiting in older children.
In children from about 6 months of age, vomiting is divided into organic or associated with pathology, which means dangerous to health, and functional, associated with the influence external factors and not dangerous for the child.

Vomiting as a sign of danger.
- most common cause vomiting are . These are viral or microbial infections of the digestive system that affect the stomach and various parts of the intestines, most of which manifest themselves in addition to vomiting and a set of other specific symptoms. Usually this is fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite and varying degrees of dehydration. Vomiting occurs due to irritation of the mucous membranes and is a protective mechanism, an attempt by the body to get rid of viruses or microbes, as well as part of the food. To give your digestion a rest.
Measures to help with intestinal infections include calling a doctor and strictly following all recommendations, if necessary, hospitalization in a hospital, taking medications and fighting dehydration. General recommendations for vomiting will be given slightly lower.

One of the causes of vomiting in children under 3-5 years of age is heat accompanying ARVI, influenza, sore throat, otitis media or pneumonia. Vomiting occurs as a result of toxins entering the blood and affecting the brain's vomiting center, which are formed in tissues as a result of the activity of viruses or microbes. Typically, vomiting occurs at the height of the fever and goes away quickly after the temperature drops, even without treatment.

Vomiting can be one of the symptoms of damage to the central nervous system, if it is a birth injury - then it mainly manifests itself in the first few months of life. Vomiting occurs as a result of irritation of the area of the vomiting center - compression by a tumor or hemorrhage, exposure to increased intracranial pressure, development of an abscess. Another cause of vomiting is exposure to toxins (such as bilirubin in jaundice) or irritation. meninges as a result of inflammation in tuberculosis, meningococcal meningitis, encephalitis, and concussions.
Neurological vomiting is persistent and does not bring relief to the child, weakening his strength, usually occurs at a height of increased intracranial pressure, is accompanied by headaches and sharp “brain” cries of the child, decreased pulse, impaired consciousness and even delirium.
Measures to help the child will be to immediately call an ambulance and hospitalize him in a hospital.

Vomiting without fever or signs of infection, but in connection with food intake, can be a symptom of digestive diseases - gastritis, ulcers, disorders of the liver, pancreas and gall bladder. Such vomiting occurs due to errors in nutrition, spicy, fatty or sweet foods; impurities in the vomit of mucus, bile or streaks of blood are especially dangerous.
Helpful measures include consultation with a doctor and strict adherence to all dietary and therapeutic measures prescribed by a specialist.

Sudden vomiting with pain in the stomach or right side may be a sign of acute appendicitis. Vomiting usually does not bring relief, occurs repeatedly, and the temperature may rise. Helpful measures include urgent referral of the baby to a surgical hospital and surgery.

In children who do not know how to cough effectively, vomiting may occur during coughing attacks - for example, with whooping cough, cystic fibrosis, bronchitis. In addition, vomiting can occur as a result of thick, viscous mucus flowing into the oropharynx and irritation of the root of the tongue, where the reflexogenic zone of vomiting is located.

Vomiting can occur as a result of exposure to toxins in the body - “toxic vomiting syndrome.” This occurs as a result of the action of toxic substances directly on the vomiting center of the brain, or due to irritation of internal organs and the receipt of impulses in the brain. This happens with metabolic disorders due to renal failure (ammonia intoxication), liver pathology and diabetes, and with disruption of the adrenal glands. Toxic vomiting occurs when poisoning with alcohol, drugs, plant poisons, etc.
One of common options the development of toxic vomiting is acetonemic syndrome. The child’s body is still imperfect and with some dietary errors (lots of fat and few carbohydrates), acetone may accumulate in the body, which results in vomiting, abdominal pain, and dehydration.
Measures to help with toxic vomiting include desoldering and rapid removal of metabolic products; in case of severe poisoning, hospitalization and detoxification.

Parents' actions when vomiting.
1. Call a doctor at home; in case of a serious condition, call an ambulance.
2. Pull yourself together and calm the child.
3. Place or sit the child in comfortable position so that if vomiting occurs, the masses do not enter the respiratory tract.
4. After vomiting, wipe the child’s face with a damp towel, give him a drink or rinse his mouth, and change clothes.
5. To prevent dehydration in case of frequent vomiting, give the child a tablespoon of liquid every 5-10 minutes. You can give special solutions Oralit, Regidron, Glucosolan, or still mineral water, alternating it with weak sweet tea.
6. If vomiting does not recur and the child asks to eat, give him some porridge or applesauce.
7. If you suspect that you have taken a toxic substance, rinse your stomach before the ambulance arrives - give 2-3 glasses of warm water to drink, then press on the root of the tongue, inducing vomiting. Remember, vomiting should not be caused if poisoning with acids or alkalis, phenols, or gasoline is suspected.

Benign vomiting.
These types of vomiting occur in emotional children and are associated with excessive excitability of the nervous system. With the help of vomiting, children attract the attention of their parents when they consider themselves deprived. Vomiting can occur as a manifestation of “bear sickness” when visiting a kindergarten, school, or before a performance or exam.

To actions that the child does not want to perform - force feeding, coercion to do something, punishment for wrongdoing. Typically, such children are capricious and selective in food. They do not have abdominal pain, intoxication, fever, or problems with stool.
- often vomiting can occur as a result of hysteria, due to the child’s severe overexcitation. Especially if he was punished or cried for a long time.
- in particularly sensitive children, vomiting may occur due to unpleasant pictures, exposure to unpleasant tastes or smells, or feelings of disgust.
- another option for functional vomiting is motion sickness in transport, irritation of the vestibular apparatus during a trip by car or train, bus, or flight on an airplane. Measures to help with this type of vomiting - do not feed the baby tightly or irritating foods before the trip, find comfortable spot where there is less shaking, use special anti-motion sickness medications from 2 years of age.

In any case, parents should remember that vomiting itself is a protective reaction of the body to pathological external and internal influences. Its appearance is a signal of a problem in the body and you need to approach it carefully, but without undue panic.

Vomiting as a defense mechanism

The gag reflex is one of the vital reactions that ensures the preservation of human life in situations where the digestion of food poses a threat or interferes with other processes.

So, if a child has overeaten or eaten an exotic product, he vomits (usually the process occurs without an increase in temperature). This is fine.

Other conditions in which vomiting in a child without fever does not require treatment:

When should vomiting stop?

A single attack of vomiting most often does not threaten health. Repeated vomiting most likely indicates the onset of the disease.

In any case, for the first couple of hours, vomiting attacks cannot be suppressed, because in this way the body gets rid of toxins, undigested food, and bacteria. If a child has been vomiting for several hours after eating (no fever), it is likely digestive system already cleared. In this case, the child vomits “water” (in fact, gastric juice and drunk liquid). If there is no temperature, the likelihood of an intestinal infection is low. Most likely, the patient food poisoning or surgical gastrointestinal disease.

The nature of the vomit may indicate the cause of the illness. For example, in diseases associated with inflammation or intestinal obstruction, a sick child vomits bile (without fever or with an increase).

In the above cases, vomiting no longer has a cleansing function, but is residual phenomenon as a result severe irritation vomiting receptors of the stomach or intestines.

Frequent, prolonged vomiting threatens dehydration, which is especially dangerous for young children. This condition requires emergency care.

Vomiting in infants

Vomiting in a child under 1 year of age without fever occurs quite often, since the digestive system of young children is immature and very sensitive to various irritants.

If you do not take into account safe factors (teething, regurgitation, overfeeding, introduction of inappropriate complementary foods), we can identify the following common diseases in which a child 1-2 years old vomits without fever:

congenital malformations digestive tract(pyloric stenosis, pylorospasm, intestinal obstruction) appear in the first week of the baby’s life, while the child feels sick without fever or diarrhea, the urge begins a few hours later or immediately after eating;
The appendix can become inflamed even in infancy, and vomiting will be its first manifestation. In a child less than 10-12 months old with appendicitis, the body temperature rises greatly, but for the first few hours the condition occurs without fever;
Dr. Komarovsky calls a runny nose one of the reasons for vomiting in a child without fever, if phlegm and pus flowing into the throat irritate the vomiting receptors, or mucus is swallowed in large quantities;
rhinopharyngitis can also lead to irritation of the gag reflex receptors, while the child most often vomits at night or in a lying position, there is no temperature, the stomach does not hurt, and the stool is normal;
in children with milk intolerance (allergy to milk protein, lactase deficiency) symptoms of indigestion may appear after each feeding; it is necessary to transfer the baby to special diet(there are mixtures for artificial feeding, do not contain casein and lactose;
Consumption of allergenic foods by a nursing mother or baby (most often with complementary foods) can cause digestive upset, along with which a rash appears.

Vomiting in children of preschool and primary school age

Vomiting without fever in an older child, starting from 4-5 years old, can have the same reasons as in an infant (appendicitis, overeating, food intolerance). At the same time, there are other reasons specific to preschool and school age. The child feels sick, vomits (but there is no temperature, or it is slightly increased) with the following diseases:

IN adolescence this symptomatology may have such specific reasons, How:

Naturally, the more common causes should be considered first - food poisoning, intestinal infection, etc. If you suspect psychogenic causes consultation with a psychotherapist is required.

First aid to a patient

What to do if a child does not stop vomiting? How to treat it? To help the patient - to make him feel better, to prevent complications, to speed up the process of cleansing of toxins and to quickly restore normal digestion, follow these rules:

in the first hours of illness, you cannot try to stop vomiting and diarrhea, because this is how the body gets rid of the irritating substance;
It is prohibited to take antiemetic, antibacterial, painkillers and any other medications (except sorbents) until the causes of the disease are determined;
if you suspect that the cause is the consumption of a poisonous or spoiled product, provoke vomiting by pressing on the root of the tongue;
since the main danger in this situation is dehydration, the patient should often drink water in small portions;
the infant should be held semi-vertically, with his head tilted to the side, so that he does not choke on vomit;
Do not force feed a person who is vomiting;
if the patient asks for food, give preference to light, low-fat food, start with a small portion;
Do not leave a sick child alone.

When should you call a doctor?

A condition in which a child feels sick and vomits threatens his health, even if there is no fever. As we found out, in some cases the patient can be helped independently, at home. However, sometimes it is necessary urgent help doctors

Symptoms that require medical attention:

the child vomits so often that he cannot drink (the likelihood of dehydration increases greatly, even if there is no fever);
vomiting was caused by medication prescribed for treatment acute illness, and its reception is impossible;
severe abdominal pain;
loss of consciousness or delirium;
you suspect that the child has eaten a toxic substance;
body temperature rose sharply, or, conversely, dropped to low values;
vomiting and diarrhea have been going on for 24 hours;
There are blood impurities in the vomit and stool.

Thus, the condition of a child with a gastrointestinal disorder should be closely monitored. Sometimes the body temperature is normal for the first hours, and then rises sharply - monitor its readings every 2-3 hours.