Gastroenteritis, also known as a stomach virus, can make your child miserable for a few days. Primary symptoms of gastroenteritis include vomiting, diarrhea and upset stomach. While your child is sick, it is important to know prevent dehydration, treat dehydration when it occurs and change your child's diet as necessary.
Preventing Dehydration
Because your child can lose a lot of fluids from both vomiting and diarrhea, it is important to make sure that he is drinking enough. If your baby is still nursing or formula fed, try spacing the feedings more closely, but offering less during each feeding. In addition, give your child an oral rehydration solution (ORS) as long as the vomiting or diarrhea continues. For older children, offer frequent but small amounts of fluids.
Treating Dehydration
If your child seems to be losing a lot of fluids through vomiting or diarrhea, consider giving her ORS regardless of her age. If she rejects it, try offering her freezer pops made of ORS (sold commercially) or flavored ORS. Do not offer your child apple juice, soft drinks or broth, as these can exacerbate the diarrhea. If your child shows signs of severe dehydration, such as lack of urination for 8 to 12 hours, lack of tears when crying, dry mouth, sunken eyes or unusual drowsiness or fussiness, call your doctor immediately.
Changes in Diet
If the diarrhea and vomiting are minimal, your child may not need to make any changes in his diet. Try to feed your child as usual, choosing healthy foods that will not irritate his stomach, such as bread, potatoes, cereal, bananas, applesauce, vegetables and yogurt. Do not put your child on the BRAT diet, which suggests that you eat only bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. These foods should be supplemented by other healthy foods to replace the nutrients that your child is losing.
Tags: your child, vomiting diarrhea, healthy foods