Baby vomiting and fever
With babies, a distinction must be made between harmless spitting and potentially dangerous vomiting. Spitting is used to remove air from the stomach, especially after a hasty meal, and may contain food residue. Vomit consists of a lot of food and smells very specific.
If fever and vomiting last only a few hours, the all-clear can be given. Persistent fever and repeated vomiting, however, are to be taken very seriously in newborns and infants. On the one hand, the risk of dehydration is very high in very young children, on the other hand, a serious illness requiring treatment may be behind the symptoms.
In any case, it is important to offer the child fluids frequently to prevent dehydration. Depending on which additional symptoms the baby shows, a gastrointestinal or urinary tract infection, in rare cases also meningitis, obstruction of the stomach outlet, intestinal twisting (volvulus) or blood poisoning may be behind the symptoms. Vaccinations can also cause fever and vomiting. Children under 3 months of age should already be presented to a doctor if their body temperature exceeds 38°C. In older children, temperatures of over 39°C should set off alarm bells.
Vomiting and fever in the child
Children vomit much more often than adults because their vomiting center in the brain and stomach is much more sensitive. Fever also occurs more frequently. Therefore, these symptoms often occur with mild illnesses such as a gastrointestinal infection, slight food intolerances or a urinary tract infection.
With all types of vomiting and fever, the child’s fluid loss is very high, so that care must be taken to ensure an adequate fluid intake. Solid food should be avoided in the first 6-12 hours. In the case of repeated vomiting, a suppository for nausea can also facilitate fluid intake. If the child shows other symptoms such as severe fatigue and listlessness, earache, appears very weak and altered, the abdomen is tense and very painful, severe diarrhea occurs or shows persistent high fever above 39.5°C, a serious and potentially life-threatening disease may be behind the symptoms. In this case a pediatrician should be consulted.
