Diagnosis
Underlying diseases must be diagnosed by the doctor. This requires a detailed anamnesis, a physical examination and in some cases also imaging procedures such as ultrasound, X-ray or computer tomography.
Prognosis
In most cases the vomiting subsides by itself within a few days. Mostly it is a symptom of harmless diseases, such as a gastrointestinal infection. There is no permanent damage.
Nevertheless, more serious diseases can also be the cause. Here the prognosis is better, the faster you react and the child receives professional treatment. It is not possible to make a blanket statement about the duration of vomiting in children, as it depends on the cause and extent of the vomiting. In the case of a viral gastrointestinal infection, a common cause, the vomiting is often over after a short time.The symptoms may improve after a few hours. A longer lasting vomiting in children should always be clarified, because a dehydration threatens and apparently a more serious illness is behind it.
Prevention
One should pay special attention to the diet of babies and toddlers, especially to the consistency and temperature of the food. From the age of kindergarten at the latest, it is not really possible to protect the child from a gastrointestinal infection. What always helps, however, is that the child’s immune system is sufficiently developed so that the body itself can cope well with infections. In order to prevent mental stress, an open ear and a quick reaction of the parents to any changes in the child’s behavior is of course necessary.
Night-time vomiting in children
If children only vomit at night from deep sleep, special care should be taken. Banal causes can be too much or too heavy food before bedtime and the symptoms usually disappear on their own. In rare cases, however, it can also be an indication of brain diseases.
Imaging procedures are necessary to rule out such a disease. In addition, a good anamnesis and examination by the doctor is also very important. However, imaging procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography or X-rays usually provide real information. In very young children, in whom the skull bones are still thin enough or the sutures have not yet grown together, an ultrasound of the head can also be made.
