What to Do? Stomach Virus

oh I know they are so pitfiful when they are sick! The main thing to do is watch out for dehydration as you said. If he goes like four hours with no wet diaper, is listless or you cannot rouse him at all, goes four hours or so with taking in no liquid, if you pinch his skin and it takes 2 sec or more to retract then you need to get him to the ER, this is what my pedi said when my son had this recently. You may want to try pedialyte and see if he will take it. My mother in law suggested partially freezing it and then crunching it up and making it like a slushy and giving small spoonfuls and my son really liked that. If you want to try some gatorade, that is good but just make sure you water it down a lot, otherwise it will probably just come back up as well. For one so little all you can do is push fluids as much as you can and take him in for some fluids if you simply cannot get him to take them by mouth. As far as dehydration goes, just follow your gut. Better to take him unnecessarily than to deal with the consequences of not taking him when he needed it. For the fever my dr always says I can alternate baby Tylenol and Motrin every three hours, to keep him comfortable. And hang in there, I know cleaning puke gets old! He will be OK just keep a really close watch on him.

make sure he is getting plenty of fluids. the food is not that important as liquids now to keep him hydrated. if he is vomiting do clear liquids like chicken broth, warm apple juice, pear juice, or water. just push the fluids, what about pedialyte or popsicles.

We just had the stomach flu go through my family, including my 8 month old. I spoke to the nurse on call throughout the first day of vomiting. By the end of the day, he had only kept down four ounces of water. I was told to bring him in if he vomited again. I got pedialyte and a ml syringe and started giving him 1 ml every 15 minutes until he could tolerate it--it took about 3 trys--two of which ended in him vomiting. On the third try he tolerated it and then I started giving him an ounce an hour every hour through the night and by morning the worst had passed. I should say that if he had thrown up one ounce, I would have brought him straight to the afterhours clinic. I should also note that by the time I started the pedilyte, he was pretty listless and certainly had no energy (signs of dehydration).

I would say, call your doc and discuss the issue and get some pedialyte and give it to him--the pedilyte is great because it rebalances the system and provides necessary electrolytes. From what you describe, he may need to be taken in and put on an iv for a bit--I say it is time to be concerned.

Good luck.

With a stomach virus, my pediatrician will put my kids on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) basically bland foods. He also tells me to give them little sips of liquid every 10 mins. If you give them a whole bunch of liquid at one time, it will cause them to throw up. He recommends pedialite, but any liquid that they will drink is acceptable the important thing is that they stay hydrated. My kids won't drink pedialite, but I tried the pedialite pops that you freeze, and they love those. They are perfect cuz they keep the kids hydrated, but they are not taking in a whole lot of liquid at a time, plus the child feels like they are getting a treat!

Wow. My pediatrician must be the only one who really advises against pedialyte and gatorade unless the problem is really severe.

Yes, it does sound like a stomach virus, but none of us can diagnose it, so I'd recommend calling the pediatrician. You never know what's going around your local area, and if it's something serious, you only have a SMALL window (36-48 hours) to abbreviate a virus with products like Tamiflu. For the record, I have NO idea if it's even approved for use in children as young as him.

We have always been told the BRAT diet, too, because it's least likely to upset the stomach. The advice from Jen B regarding wet diapers is also good and consistent.

Here is what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for caring for children with viruses - I'd still recommend calling your pediatrician to verify this information based upon his age.
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/cond...

There is a horrible stomach bug going around right now and it sounds like he's got it. I second what Katie Z said but our doctor told me to wait 1 1/2-2 hours after an episode of vomiting before trying the tablespoon of liquid. That way it gives the stomach (which is a big muscle) time to calm and relaxed after the vomiting. Just work on keeping him hydrated with things like pedialyte, gatorade, ginger ale, etc. I probably would avoid water and juice as they always seem to be hard on the system when you are down with a yucky tummy. Once he's holding things down for a day or so you can slowly add some of the BRAT diet elements.

Also, according to the CDC website he should avoid contact with others for 3 days after the symptoms disappear as he could still be very contagious and he could still pass the virus up to 2 weeks after! Crazy! Just be very meticulous in your hand washing and sanitizing things around the house.

Sounds like a stomach virus to me. Don't worry if he doesn't want to eat. When you have an upset stomach, do you want to eat anything? Once he's vomit free for an hour, then try giving him a tablespoon of pedialyte, watered down apple juice, or flat Sprite. Give him a tablespoon of liquid every 15 minutes or so to prevent dehydration. If he vomits again, then hold off giving him anything else until his tummy is settled.

My son also loves the Pedialyte popsicles, but absolutely will not drink the liquid. Give those a try once your little guy is willing to eat or drink. Once he is eating, stick with very bland food. Cheerios, plain toast, applesauce, Gerber puffs, etc. And avoid dairy at all costs. Trust me from experience! I made that mistake and had to clean up vomit for another few hours after giving in to my son who begged for a small glass of milk. Yuck.

Hope he feels better and you avoid the bug!

Definitely call your ped, even if you don't have to go in, you can get some good advice on what to do and what to look for. Better to be safe than sorry. Good luck.

If he has a stomach bug then milk and other dairy products should be avoided as these just make them worse , if he will eat then offer the BRAT diet (Bananas , rice , applesauce , toast) and try to get as much fluid into his as possible. Water not much use when they are vomiting and/or diarrhea so try pedialyte , if he won't take it willingly then use a syringe to get it in him. Keep an eye on the fever and if it goes over 100 I would speak to a nurse at the doctor's office but to keep the fever at bay give tylenol every 4 hrs.

I know how you feel , watching your baby be unwell is awful but it is part and parcel of being young and it builds up their immunity.

I hope he feels better soon

I just went throught this as well, with my 10 1/2 month old. She woke up in the middle of the night vomiting. Then she didn't want to eat or drink her bottle. By the second day of not eating, I took her to Cook's Urgent Care and they told me that it was probably a virus and there was nothing they could do or give her for it. It is a waiting game. My husband and I ended up getting the virus too and I can tell you that the feeling in your stomach is bloated and your stomach rumbles and gurgles and you definitely don't feel like eating anything. They told me Pedialyte is the best thing to give her every 15 minutes, so she doesn't get dehydrated. They told me to look for dark circles under their eyes and if they cry and no tears or saliva comes out then you know they are getting dehydrated. Good Luck!!