• Signs and symptoms
• Home care
• When to call your doctor

Signs and symptoms

• Forceful ejection of a large portion of the stomach's contents through the mouth.


• The most common cause of vomiting is a viral infection, often times associated with diarrhea. Sometimes vomiting can be caused by eating something that disagrees with you. Vomiting usually lasts about 12 to 24 hours and requires little more than dietary changes to treat it.


• The main goal of treating vomiting is to avoid dehydration.

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Home care

No solids or milk for 6-8 hours.

Offer clear liquids only the first 6-8 hours such as water or Pedialyte. For older children, Gatorade, Ice Pops (including Pedialyte pops) and flat ginger ale or cola can also be used.

Offer SMALL amounts frequently and SLOWLY increase the amount given. For example, give one teaspoon every 10 minutes for the first hour, and then double the amount each hour. This method, if followed, will rarely fail in providing adequate hydration. If your child vomits during this time, wait 40-60 minutes before reattempting this method, to allow the stomach to rest.

After 6-8 hours WITHOUT vomiting offer bland solids. Examples include rice cereal, bananas and applesauce for babies, saltines, toast, plain rice or noodles, soups, or mashed potatoes for older children.

BREASTFED infants may continue to breastfeed, however, you should feed from only one breast per feed initially, and gradually increase the duration of feeds. If your baby vomits more than twice with this method, offer small amounts of Pedialyte. Once 4 hours have passed without vomiting, attempt breastfeeding again.
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When to call your doctor

Immediately call for advice if:

• Your child vomits three or more times on clear liquids.


• Your child shows sign of dehydration (Dry mouth, Absence of tears, Darker, more concentrated urine, Lethargy, Dizziness)


• Your child has not urinated in over 8 hours


• Any blood appears in the vomit


• Any bile (bright green intestinal fluid) appears in the vomit


• Abdominal PAIN (not nausea) appears and persists


• Fever over 101


• Poisoning with a medicine, plant, food, or other substance suspected


• Your child is acting very sick

Call during regular office hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) if:

• The vomiting persists for more than 12-24 hours despite diet changes

Please remember that this advice is for educational purposes and should only be used as a guide.
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