--- title: "Child vomiting: fluids, 111 or 999? | HealthAnswers" description: "Most childhood vomiting is a tummy bug. Offer small sips and oral rehydration from a pharmacy. Green vomit, blood, or a floppy child is 999." url: https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/vomiting-in-children/ robots: noindex --- # Child vomiting: fluids, 111 or 999? | HealthAnswers Symptoms Most childhood vomiting is a tummy bug. Offer small sips and oral rehydration from a pharmacy. Green vomit, blood, or a floppy child is 999. Written by HealthAnswers editorial team Medically reviewed by [Dr Neil Singh MBChB - nMRCGP](https://healthanswers.co.uk/our-doctors/neil-singh/) · GMC 7039648 Reviewed 13 August 2026 ## Quick answer When is vomiting in a child an emergency? Most vomiting and diarrhoea in children is a tummy bug. Keep breastfeeding, offer small frequent sips, and get oral rehydration sachets from a pharmacy. Stay off school until 48 hours after the last episode. Use 111 if a baby worries you or fluids will not stay down. Call 999 for green vomit, blood, or a floppy child. ## Who is this page for? This page is for people in the UK who want a plain-English overview of Vomiting and diarrhoea in children, including when to seek help and what NHS care usually involves. It explains general information, not what is wrong with you personally. ## Who should skip this page? Skip this page if you need a diagnosis, a prescription, or emergency care. It cannot replace a GP, pharmacist, NHS 111 or 999. If you are in immediate danger, call 999; for urgent advice that is not life-threatening, call 111 in England, Scotland or Wales, or use your GP out-of-hours service in Northern Ireland. On this page 8 sections ## Common causes of vomiting and diarrhoea in children - Vomiting often settles within 1 to 2 days; diarrhoea can last 5 to 7 days. - Continue breastfeeding; never dilute formula. - Stay off school or nursery until 48 hours after the last episode. - Oral rehydration solution from a pharmacy replaces fluid and salts. - Green vomit, blood, a non-blanching rash, or a floppy child is 999. ## Should I use this page, or get help now? Use this page if a child is being sick or has diarrhoea and you need a fluid plan versus 111. Skip it and call 999 if vomit is green or bloody, they have a rash that does not fade under a glass, they are floppy, or they are struggling to breathe. This page cannot diagnose a twist in the gut. A baby who only brings up small amounts of milk after feeds may have [reflux](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/reflux-in-babies/) rather than a bug. ## What usually causes vomiting and diarrhoea in children? Most sudden bouts are [gastroenteritis](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/gastroenteritis/) — a tummy bug or [food poisoning](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/food-poisoning/). NHS advice is that vomiting usually stops in one or two days and [diarrhoea](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/diarrhoea/) within five to seven days. Other infections, including a [urine infection](https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/urinary-tract-infection/), can cause vomiting with little diarrhoea. How they look — alert versus floppy — matters more than the number of episodes. Do not guess amounts from a search result. Watch nappies, tears and energy. ## How should I give fluids? Offer small sips often. Keep breastfeeding. Use formula at its usual strength — never dilute it. A pharmacist can supply [oral rehydration salts](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/oral-rehydration-salts/). Avoid fruit juice and fizzy drinks. Eat when they want to; plain food is fine. Find a GPhC-registered pharmacy on [Pick My Pharmacy](https://pickmypharmacy.co.uk/). Do not give anti-diarrhoea medicine to children under 12 unless a clinician says so. [Paracetamol](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/paracetamol/) can ease discomfort — follow the pack. ## When is it 111 or 999? Use 111 if you are worried about a baby under 12 months, feeding has stopped, wet nappies have dropped, fluids will not stay down, vomiting lasts more than two days, or diarrhoea lasts more than seven days. Call 999 for green vomit, blood, a stiff neck, a non-blanching rash, or severe breathing difficulty. In England, Scotland and Wales call 111 (NHS 24 in Scotland). In Northern Ireland there is no general 111 — use GP out-of-hours on [nidirect](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gp-out-hours-services). See [pharmacy, GP, 111 or A&E](https://healthanswers.co.uk/guides/pharmacy-gp-111-or-ae/) if you are stuck on the door. ## How do I stop it spreading? Stay off school or nursery until 48 hours after the last episode. Wash hands with soap and water. Clean toilets, taps and handles. Wash soiled laundry separately on a hot wash. Avoid swimming for 48 hours after symptoms stop. Do not share towels. A [fever](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/fever-in-children/) with vomiting still follows the children’s fever red flags as well as this fluid plan. Head injury plus vomiting is a different emergency — say the fall first. ## Should I stop milk or food? No. Continue breastfeeding. Use formula at its usual strength — never dilute it. Offer smaller, more frequent feeds if they are being sick. Food can restart when they want it; plain meals are fine. Starving a child until the vomiting stops is not NHS advice. Do not give anti-diarrhoea medicines to children under 12 unless a clinician says so. Anti-sickness medicines are not a home default. Ask a pharmacist or 111 rather than using an adult tablet. A well baby who possets milk after feeds is reflux, not this page. ## How do I spot dehydration in a child? Fewer wet nappies, a dry mouth, no tears, sunken eyes, unusual sleepiness, or a baby who has stopped feeding are warnings. Use 111 if you see these. Floppy, unresponsive, or blue-grey skin is 999. How they look matters more than counting drinks. Trust your instincts. NHS advice is that vomiting usually stops in one or two days and diarrhoea within five to seven days. If vomiting lasts more than two days or diarrhoea more than a week, use 111 or a GP. Ice lollies can help if sips are refused. ## Who should skip this page? Skip this page if vomit is already green or bloody, or the child is floppy or struggling to breathe — call 999. It is not a dose calculator, not an adult [vomiting](https://healthanswers.co.uk/symptoms/vomiting/) page, and not a reflux clinic for happy spitty babies. Repeated vomiting without diarrhoea still needs a clinician if it is not settling. ## ! When to get medical help for vomiting and diarrhoea in children Call NHS 111 if you are worried about a baby under 12 months, feeding stops, wet nappies reduce, fluids will not stay down, vomiting lasts more than 2 days, or diarrhoea lasts more than 7 days. Call **999** or go to A&E for green vomit, blood or coffee-ground vomit, sudden severe pain, a stiff neck, a rash that does not fade under a glass, blue or grey skin, or severe breathing difficulty. ## Common questions about vomiting and diarrhoea in children What should I give a vomiting child to drink? Offer frequent small sips of water or oral rehydration solution from a pharmacy. Continue breastfeeds. Formula stays at its usual strength — never dilute it. Avoid fruit juice and fizzy drinks, which can worsen diarrhoea. Ice lollies can help if sips are refused. If nothing stays down, that is 111, not a bigger drink later. Should I stop formula feeds? No. Do not dilute formula. Continue usual feeds in smaller, more frequent amounts unless a clinician gives different advice. Keep breastfeeding throughout. Stopping milk because of a tummy bug is not NHS advice. A pharmacist can help you choose oral rehydration sachets to sit alongside feeds. Can children take anti-diarrhoea medicine? Do not give anti-diarrhoea medicines to children under 12 unless a clinician specifically says so. They can be harmful. Fluids and time are the treatment. Paracetamol can ease tummy discomfort if they can keep it down — follow the pack. Do not give aspirin to children under 16. When can they go back to school? Stay off school or nursery until 48 hours after the last vomit or diarrhoea. That is standard infection-control advice. The same 48-hour rule applies to swimming. Wash hands with soap and water. Do not send them back because they only had a small episode this morning. What does green vomit mean? Green or yellow-green vomit in a child needs 999 or A&E. Blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds is also emergency care. Those colours are not a typical tummy bug. Do not wait to see if the next vomit is clearer. Take any medicines they use with you. How do I spot dehydration? Fewer wet nappies, a dry mouth, no tears, sunken eyes, unusual sleepiness, or a baby who has stopped feeding are warnings. Use 111 if you see these. Floppy, unresponsive, or blue-grey skin is 999. How they look matters more than counting drinks. Trust your instincts. ## Sources - [NHS — Diarrhoea and vomiting](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/diarrhoea-and-vomiting/) - [NICE — Diarrhoea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis in under 5s (CG84)](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg84)