Vomiting in children and babies

Vomiting in babies and children is normal now and then. In most cases it doesn't last longer than 1 to 2 days, and it usually isn't a sign of anything serious.

If your child is vomiting after a head injury, there are separate pages on severe head injury and minor head injury.

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

• a child vomits repeatedly and can't hold down fluids
• a child shows signs of dehydration, such as a dry mouth, crying without tears, peeing less, wetting fewer nappies than usual, or drowsiness
• a child vomits something green or something that contains blood
• a child has been vomiting for more than a day or 2
• a child is vomiting and also has signs of an infection, like a high temperature and irritability
• a baby stops breastfeeding 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 doctor's chamber is closed, phone the 16263 health line.

In most cases, you can safely look after a child or baby with vomiting at home.

• Keep giving breast or milk feeds when a baby is vomiting, and try 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.
• Let children eat solid foods as normal if they haven't lost their appetite and aren't dehydrated.

• do not give your child fruit juice or fizzy drinks, because 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 doctor or a pharmacist if you're worried about dehydration. They may recommend an oral rehydration solution. If your child can't hold down the oral rehydration solution, contact your doctor.

Your child should stay at home until at least 48 hours after the last time they vomit or have diarrhoea. This helps stop the infection from spreading to other people.

Vomiting in babies and children can be caused by:

• a food allergy or milk intolerance
• gastroenteritis, or a stomach bug
• appendicitis
• motion sickness
• urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• ear infections
• reflux, where a baby brings feeds back up
• too big a hole in the bottle teat, which makes babies swallow too much milk
• food poisoning