Vomiting and Diarrhea in Children
Care instructions
Vomiting (throwing up) and diarrhea (watery stool) are common symptoms in children that can happen at any time of year. They often happen together, but some children just have vomiting or diarrhea.
The most common causes of vomiting and diarrhea are viruses that easily spread from person to person. These viruses cause an infection called gastroenteritis.
The best way to prevent spreading the infection is to:
- wash your hands often
- wash your hands carefully after you use the bathroom, change diapers, and before you handle food
- use soap and water to clean your hands (or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if there isn’t any soap and water)
You can learn more about vomiting and diarrhea (gastroenteritis) from the ECHO research program website. Evidence in Child Health to Enhance Outcomes (ECHO) uses evidence and research to provide information to help improve the health of children in Alberta.
How to manage
Diarrhea and vomiting are managed by preventing dehydration (loss of too much fluid).
Drinking
To prevent dehydration, make sure your child drinks lots of fluids. They need to drink enough fluids to meet what they need each day and replace the fluids they lose with vomiting or diarrhea.
If your child has diarrhea without vomiting, they can drink as much as they want.
If your child is vomiting, give them small amounts of fluids often. Offer your child 5 mL (1 teaspoon) of fluids every 2-3 minutes. If they can keep that down, give them up to 30 mL (2 tablespoons) of fluids every 5 minutes.
For babies under 1 year, continue to give breast milk or formula in small, frequent amounts.
- Breastfeeding – for example, offer the breast for 1 to 2 minutes every 10 minutes. If they continue to vomit, continue breastfeeding but give an oral rehydration solution (such as Pedialyte or a store brand) as a supplement.
- Formula feeding – if they continue to vomit even with the small amounts, switch your baby to an oral rehydration solution (such as Pedialyte or a store brand) for 8 hours.
If your child is over 1 year of age, give them clear fluids, such as apple juice mixed with water (about half juice and half water), or sports electrolyte drinks.
If they have signs of dehydration, give your child clear fluids with electrolytes to drink, such as an oral rehydration solution. Clear fluids without electrolytes aren't the right choice for dehydration.
Take your child to be assessed by a healthcare provider if:
- vomiting continues despite the above feeding adjustments
- they have large volume diarrhea and show signs of dehydration
- they have significant abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, or green coloured vomit
Eating
If your child has diarrhea but isn’t vomiting or is no longer vomiting, let them eat foods that aren’t too high in fat. Eating will help the diarrhea stop faster.
Once they haven’t vomited for a few hours, slowly begin giving them small amounts of foods to eat. It’s best not to give your child fatty or greasy foods if they have diarrhea or have been vomiting.
Don’t give your child over-the-counter medicines that claim to prevent vomiting, such as dimenhydrinate (Gravol), or drugs that try to stop diarrhea, such as loperamide (Imodium). These drugs don’t work well in children and may have side effects.
If your child isn’t dehydrated
If your child isn’t dehydrated, they have a low risk of developing other health problems. The most important thing to do is make sure they drink enough fluids. When your child is getting enough fluids and is well hydrated, they:
- have a normal skin colour (but they may have more colour in their cheeks if they have a fever)
- act normally and have a normal activity level when they don't have a fever
- may sleep more but are easy to wake up
- may have dry lips or a dry tongue but the inside of the mouth is wet (moist)
- have tears if they cry
You’ll know that your child is getting enough fluids to drink (that they’re hydrated) if they are peeing (passing urine) as often as usual:
- have a wet diaper usually every 3 hours (if they are 3 to 5 months old)
- have a wet diaper usually every 6 hours (if they are 6 to 23 months old)
- pee every 8 hours (if they are 2 years and older)
What you can do
Wash your hands often, especially after you use the bathroom, change diapers, and before you handle food. If your child is old enough, have them wash their hands often as well.
If your child is well hydrated and not vomiting often, you can let them drink and eat when they want.
- Offer your child fluids and small amounts of healthy foods they like to eat.
- Slowly give your child more fluids to drink.
- Start with foods that are easy to digest but slowly add back their usual foods. Easy to digest foods include rice, cereal, pasta, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, and bananas.
- You can let your child drink fluids that are right for their age. Avoid fluids that are high in sugar, like pop.
If your child vomits, wait 15 minutes before you offer them fluids again. If your child keeps vomiting, offer them small amounts of fluid (5 mL or 1 tsp.) every 2-3 minutes.
Watch your child for signs of dehydration.
When to get help
Call your child’s family doctor, pediatrician, or Health Link at 811 if your child has:
- vomiting or diarrhea for more than 2 days
- a fever (a temperature over 38°C) for more than 2 days. For babies less than 3 months old, call if their temperature is over 37.5°C
- a bloated tummy (abdomen) or stomach pains that don't go away, get worse, or are not centered around the belly button.
Go to the emergency department if your child has:
- blood in their diarrhea
- dark green vomit
If your child has some dehydration
If your child has some dehydration, they have a risk of developing other health problems. It’s important to watch your child closely. Make sure they get enough fluids and call your child’s healthcare provider or Health Link at 811 to find out if they should see a doctor.
When your child has some dehydration, they:
- can be very tired, can’t relax, and get upset easily
- have a lower activity level (for example, you can’t get them to play)
- have eyes that may sink a bit in the eye sockets
- have a dry tongue without much saliva in their mouth
- have some tears when they cry but less than usual
- have a sunken soft spot on top of their head (babies and young children)
- have fingers and toes that feel cool
Checking how often your child passes urine (pee) can help you know if they’re dehydrated. Your child may be dehydrated if they are peeing less often than usual. Watch for:
- a dry diaper for more than 4 hours (if they are 3 to 5 months old)
- a dry diaper for more than 8 hours (if they are 6 to 23 months old)
- they haven’t passed urine (peed) for more than 10 hours (if they are 2 years and older)
What you can do
- Wash your hands often, especially after you use the bathroom, change diapers, and before you handle food.
- Keep offering fluids even if your child is vomiting. If your child vomits, wait 15 minutes before you offer them fluids again. If your child keeps vomiting, offer them small amounts of fluid (5 mL or 1 tsp.) every few minutes.
- Slowly give your child more fluid to drink.
- Give your child an oral rehydration solution like Pedialyte or a store brand. If they don’t like the taste, offer them a sports electrolyte drink like Gatorade. Don’t give your child sugar-free sports electrolyte drinks.
Once vomiting slows down or stops, you can offer your child small amounts of food that are easy to digest. This includes rice, cereal, pasta, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, and bananas.
When to get help
Call your family doctor, pediatrician, or Health Link at 811 if your child:
- has vomiting or diarrhea for more than 2 days
- a fever (a temperature over 38°C) for more than 2 days. For babies less than 3 months old, call if their temperature is over 37.5°C
- has a bloated tummy (abdomen) or stomach pains that don't go away, get worse, or are not centered around the belly button.
- is dehydrated
Go to the emergency department if your child:
- is still vomiting even after following these steps above
- has blood in their diarrhea
- has dark green vomit
If your child is very dehydrated
If your child is very dehydrated (has severe dehydration), they have lost a lot of fluids and have a high risk of developing other health problems.
When your child has severe dehydration, they:
- have eyes sunken into the eye sockets
- are very weak, hard to wake up, or won’t wake up
- don’t act or respond normally (they may not know who you are, be very upset, or won’t calm down)
- have dry lips and the inside of the mouth and tongue are dry
- don’t have tears when they cry
- have deep, heavy breathing
- have fingers and toes that are cold and blue
Checking how often your child passes urine (pee) can also help you know if they’re dehydrated. Your child may be very dehydrated if they are peeing much less often than usual:
- a dry diaper for more than 6 hours (if they are 3 to 5 months old)
- a dry diaper for more than 10 hours (if they are 6 to 23 months old)
- they haven’t passed urine (peed) for more than 12 hours (if they are 2 years and older)
If your child has severe dehydration, go to an emergency department or call 911 right away.
To see this information online and learn more, visit MyHealth.Alberta.ca/health/pages/conditions.aspx?Hwid=custom.ab_vomitdiarrhea_ac_child.
Related to Vomiting or Diarrhea
For 24/7 nurse advice and general health information call Health Link at 811.
Current as of: November 17, 2025
Author: Children's Health, Alberta Health Services
This material is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional. This material is intended for general information only and is provided on an "as is", "where is" basis. Although reasonable efforts were made to confirm the accuracy of the information, Alberta Health Services does not make any representation or warranty, express, implied or statutory, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, applicability or fitness for a particular purpose of such information. Alberta Health Services expressly disclaims all liability for the use of these materials, and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use.
