What should parents do when a child has a cold and vomits a lot?

The article was professionally consulted by Associate Professor, Doctor, Doctor Huynh Thoai Loan - Head of Pediatrics - Neonatology Department - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Cold in children is a common acute respiratory infection, especially in children under 5 years of age. In addition to the symptoms of cough, runny nose, fever, children may vomit a lot, making parents worried. So what should you do when your child has a cold and vomits a lot?

According to many studies, babies and toddlers usually get 8 to 10 colds a year before they turn 2 years old. Preschool-age children have about 9 colds a year. Teens and adults catch colds 2 to 4 times per year.
The cold season lasts from September to March or April, so children get sick most often during these months.
Children with colds often have the following symptoms:
Runny nose. Sneeze . Tired. Children cry, play poorly. Fever . Vomiting. Cough. Children with colds can clear up on their own in 7-10 days with proper care. However, if the child vomits a lot, cannot eat or drink, the cold will be worse and take longer to heal.

Vomiting is a condition in which food is forcefully pushed out of the stomach through the mouth through sudden contractions of the abdominal muscles.
The following causes cause a child to vomit a lot with a cold:
Cough a lot: When coughing, the muscles of the abdomen and chest of the child constrict, increasing the pressure in the abdomen, pressing on the stomach. This makes it easier for the child to vomit. Swallowing a lot of snot, sputum into the stomach: Children, especially children under 2 years old who do not know how to blow their nose or spit out sputum, often swallow all the nasopharyngeal secretions. This makes the stomach always in a state of fullness and bloating, making it easy for children to catch a cold and vomit a lot. Crying: Babies who cry a lot are also prone to vomiting. In addition, parents' habit of forcing children to eat more to quickly recover from illness also affects psychological well-being and causes vomiting for children with colds.

Children vomiting a lot causes a lot of anxiety for parents. However, the first thing when handling a child with a cold, vomiting a lot is that parents must keep a calm attitude to observe the child's manifestations.

Vomiting began violently. Vomiting frequently and continuously. Vomiting of bile, blood, or stool. Unable to eat or drink. Vomiting with high fever over 38.5 degrees Celsius. Vomiting with signs of dehydration: Dry lips, sunken eyes, thirst, dry skin. Or there are any other serious conditions such as convulsions, lethargy, difficult to wake up, rapid breathing, ... The above are serious signs, parents need to take their child to a medical facility for treatment if they see their child. have these symptoms.

If vomiting when a child has a cold is mild, without any of the above symptoms, parents need to do the following:
Rehydrate and electrolytes
Vomiting causes the child to lose a large amount of food and fluids stomach, leading to a lack of water and electrolytes. Parents can give children water or Oresol solution to drink according to the doctor's instructions. Children should drink a little at a time, because drinking a lot is also easy to cause vomiting more for the child.
Rest
Let your baby get more rest, limit physical activities. Relaxation reduces arousal and may limit vomiting.
Light meals and small meals
Parents should give their children easy-to-digest foods such as minced meat porridge, bananas, soft bread,... Limit foods that are high in fat or spices because they cause Children vomit more. Meals should be divided so that the child does not overeat.
Do not feed your child within 30 - 60 minutes of vomiting
Feeding immediately after vomiting makes vomiting worse. Parents need to limit food for children at this time to limit vomiting.
Relieves cold symptoms
When the cold goes away, the vomiting will also go away. Colds can go away on their own in 7-10 days if the child is well taken care of.
Keep a clean and warm living environment for children. Wash the child's nose regularly with 0.9% physiological saline solution. Reduce fever by applying warm compresses all over the body. Use fever-reducing medicine only when the child's fever is above 38.5 degrees Celsius and under the guidance of a doctor. Wash hands for the whole family to limit the spread of the virus. Do not use antibiotics without a doctor's prescription. Flu vaccination for children 6 months of age and older and booster yearly.

Children with colds vomit a lot, causing concern for parents. Parents of children need to keep a calm attitude to have the best care for their children. See your doctor if you have any serious problems.
Parents can take their children to Vinmec International General Hospital. This is one of the leading hospitals in the country in terms of examination, diagnosis and treatment of digestive, urinary, respiratory, and nutritional diseases, especially in infants and young children. Modern equipment and sterile space help minimize the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.