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 rather than a bug.
What usually causes vomiting and diarrhoea in children?
Most sudden bouts are gastroenteritis — a tummy bug or food poisoning. NHS advice is that vomiting usually stops in one or two days and diarrhoea within five to seven days. Other infections, including a urine 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. Avoid fruit juice and fizzy drinks. Eat when they want to; plain food is fine.
Find a GPhC-registered pharmacy on Pick My Pharmacy. Do not give anti-diarrhoea medicine to children under 12 unless a clinician says so. 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. See pharmacy, GP, 111 or A&E 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 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 page, and not a reflux clinic for happy spitty babies. Repeated vomiting without diarrhoea still needs a clinician if it is not settling.
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.