How to Deal With a Vomiting Toddler

By Vincent Iannelli, MD
Updated June 11, 2019
Medically reviewed by a board-certified physician
Sick toddler
Peter Dazeley/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images

Is your child frequently throwing up several times a week but does not appear to be feeling ill otherwise? Surprisingly, this is a common occurrence in younger children. Some toddlers vomit when having a tantrum or just crying. Others vomit when they have too much food in their mouth. And some vomit for no known reason at all.

Possible Causes

If your child's episodes are infrequent, it likely isn't simple reflux. But here are some other possible causes:

  • Sensitive gag reflex. Your child may have a sensitive gag reflex.
  • Food allergy or intolerance. A food allergy or intolerance might be another cause, especially if you can link the vomiting to a specific thing that your child is eating.
  • Delayed gastric emptying. Children with delayed gastric emptying have slower gastric emptying times than other children. That means that the things that they eat and drink stay in their stomach longer and explains why they may vomit the previous night's dinner the next morning. This condition is sometimes treated with the medication Reglan, although many parents report that their children have side effects when taking it. Another option is the antibiotic erythromycin, which increases gastric emptying time.

Diagnosis

If you are concerned about your child's vomiting, it is good to discuss it with your child's pediatrician.

Warning signs that the vomiting needs further diagnosis are if your child isn't gaining weight well or is losing weight, is often fussy, isn't developing normally, or if his symptoms begin occurring more often.

Keep a symptom diary. This is where you record the date and time that he vomits, what he was doing just before it happened (like eating or crying), what he last had to eat and drink, and the date and time of his last feeding.

Ask about testing. Ask your child's pediatrician if it's a good idea for some further testing to be done, like an upper-GI series barium X-ray. During this type of exam, the child swallows a liquid that contains barium, which spreads onto the walls of the esophagus and stomach. This coating then shows up on an X-ray and enables a doctor to look for any abnormalities, like strictures, ulcers, hiatal hernias, erosions, or tumors. 

Get a second opinion. If you are not comfortable with what your kid's pediatrician is saying, you might consider getting a second opinion from a pediatric gastroenterologist. This is especially important if the warning signs are present or worsening.

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