You should usually be able to treat your child at home. An important part of treating your child is assessing whether they have an increased risk of dehydration.
Factors that can increase your child’s risk of dehydration include:
- your child is younger than one, particularly if they are younger than six months
- your child has passed more than five stools (faeces) in the last 24 hours
- your child has vomited more than twice in the last 24 hours
- your child has not been able to hold down fluids
- your child has suddenly stopped breastfeeding
- your child is less than two years old and had a low birth weight when born
No increased risk
If your child does not appear dehydrated and has no increased risk of dehydration, continue to feed them as usual, whether with breast milk, other milk feeds or solids.
If your child is eating solids, encourage them to eat as soon as their vomiting is under control. There is no evidence to suggest that not allowing your child to eat will shorten their episodes of diarrhoea. Simple foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as bread, rice or pasta, are recommended.
It is not recommended that your child drinks fruit juices or carbonated drinks (‘fizzy drinks’). These can worsen their symptoms of diarrhoea.
Increased risk
If your child does not appear dehydrated but does have an increased risk of dehydration, the advice above still applies. Also, give your child an oral rehydration solution (ORS).
ORS usually come in sachets that are available over the counter (without a prescription) from your local pharmacist. You dissolve them in water and they help to replace salt, glucose and other important minerals that your child loses through dehydration.
If your child vomits after drinking an ORS solution, wait 5-10 minutes before giving them some more. However, make sure they drink it slowly. For example, you could try giving them a spoonful every few minutes.
It is usually recommended that your child drinks an ORS each time they pass a large amount of watery stools. The exact amount of ORS they should drink will depend on their size and weight.
Your pharmacist will be able to advise you. The manufacturer’s instructions that come with the ORS also give information on recommended dosage.
Dehydration
If your child has symptoms of dehydration, use an ORS then call your GP. If your GP is unavailable, contact your local out-of-hours service or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
Your GP or the NHS Direct health advisor will ask questions about your child’s symptoms and general state of health, to assess whether your child is well enough to be treated at home or whether they need to be admitted to hospital.
Treatment at hospital
Admission to hospital is usually recommended if your child has signs and symptoms of severe dehydration, such as:
- a decreased level of consciousness, such as appearing drowsy or unaware of their surroundings
- pale or blotchy skin
- their hands and feet feel cold
- rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
- rapid breathing (tachypnoea)
- their pulse feels weak
Admission to hospital may also be recommended if your child’s symptoms get worse despite treatment with ORS, or if they keep vomiting up the ORS.
Treatment at hospital usually involves feeding the child some fluids and other nutrients directly into their vein (intravenous fluid therapy).
Most children respond very well to treatment and are able to leave hospital after a few days.
Treating other symptoms
Symptoms of pain and fever can normally be relieved using paracetamol. Young children may find liquid paracetamol easier to digest than tablets.
Do not give aspirin to children who are under 16 years of age.
Anti-diarrhoeal medicine is not recommended for children under 12 years old.
The use of medicine to prevent vomiting (anti-emetic medication) is also not usually recommended for children due to the risk of adverse side effects, such as muscle spasms or allergic reactions. Consult your GP before giving your child anti-emetic medicine.
