Vomiting in children and babies

Phone 999 or go to A&E if:

A child is vomiting and they:

• are floppy, irritable or less responsive
• develop sudden and severe tummy pain
• have a headache, stiff neck and a rash
• may have swallowed something poisonous
• have blood in their vomit, or the vomit looks like ground coffee
• have green or yellow-green vomit
• have a stiff neck and pain when looking at bright lights

Speak to your GP practice if:

• a child vomits repeatedly and is unable to hold down fluids
• a child has symptoms of dehydration – like a dry mouth, crying without tears, peeing less, not wetting many nappies, and drowsiness
• a child vomits and it’s green or contains blood
• a child has been vomiting for more than a day or 2
• a child is vomiting and has symptoms of an infection like a high temperature and irritability
• a baby stops breast or bottle feeding while they’re ill
• a baby has vomited 3 times or more in the past 24 hours
• you’re worried about a child’s symptoms

If your GP practice is closed, phone 111.

How to look after a baby or child at home

In most cases, you can treat vomiting in children and babies safely at home.

Do

• continue breast or milk feeds when a baby is vomiting – try giving small feeds more often than usual
• give babies on formula or solid foods small sips of water between feeds
• encourage children to take small sips of diluting juice (full sugar) to prevent dehydration
• allow children to eat solid foods as normal if they haven’t lost their appetite and aren’t dehydrated

Don’t

• do not have fruit juice or fizzy drinks – they can make diarrhoea worse
• do not make baby formula weaker – use it at its usual strength
• do not give children under 12 medicine to stop diarrhoea
• do not give aspirin to children under 16

Speak to your GP or pharmacist if you’re worried about dehydration. They may recommend an oral rehydration solution. Contact your GP practice if your child is unable to hold down oral rehydration solution.

Stay at home

Stay at home until at least 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea. This’ll help to prevent infection from spreading to others.