✓ Nausea and vomiting in children: causes and remedies

Fonte: shutterstock

Nausea and vomiting in the child

What are the main causes of nausea and vomiting in the child? What to do if the small child has vomiting? Let's see the possible remedies and which drugs are recommended.

Why are nausea and vomiting: the causes

These are very common symptoms among children, especially in association with each other, and are most often caused by aviral infection. "They can occur in any season, but they are more frequent in spring and summer because there are numerous viruses in circulation that can give certain symptoms (often together with diarrhea), in particular the rotavirus" he says. Antonino Reale, Head of emergency pediatrics at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in the city.

In any case, these are very generic symptoms and for this reason they can be the sign of many other ailments, such as car sickness, food intolerances, appendicitis, celiac disease.

Sometimes, especially in school age, they can also hide a psychological distress, for example with classmates or at school (especially if the disorder disappears over the weekend or during the holidays), as well as an expedient to attract the attention of parents.

What to do if the child has nausea and vomiting: remedies and medications

"It depends above all on the age of the child" highlights the pediatrician: "If the child is small, that is, he weighs less than 5-10 kilos, but his general conditions are good, it is not necessary to consult a doctor, but it is good to fight immediately there dehydration, which is the main risk associated with vomiting, by giving the child rehydrating solutions rich in mineral salts, such as potassium and sodium chloride, which can be purchased in pharmacies ".

If the child is older, it is more difficult for him to suffer from dehydration and in this case it is enough to use common sense, giving him to drink in small sips, offering him light foods and in small quantities at a time, without forcing him to eat or finish the dish. if you don't want it.

If, on the other hand, the general condition of the child does not seem good, the child appears less lively and sleepy. better to contact the pediatrician.

If there is acetone, give sugary drinks

Nausea and vomiting can cause an alteration of the metabolism of fats and cause the appearance of the so-called acetone, which gives the breath and urine its characteristic odor. To eliminate it, just give the child sugary drinks, such as chamomile or just water and sugar.

Can anti-vomiting drugs be used?

There are also anti-vomiting drugs, such as metoclopramide, but "they should be used only if the symptoms are very severe and only if prescribed by the pediatrician, because they can cause even important side effects" concludes Antonino Reale.