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Children's health

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Original poster

3yo can't keep down water, how long do we let it go before worrying about dehydration?

21 replies

RobynLou · 14/03/2011 11:11

DD has had 4 sips of water which have stayed down since saturday evening. she's been sick since friday evening, seemed a bit better on sat and drank quite a bit through the day, but ha been ill again yesterday and today.

she's asleep at the moment, is a bit quiet and weary but otherwise ok in herself.

how long before we need to go to the doctors if she doesn't keep more water down?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

ShowOfHands · 14/03/2011 11:17

You need to take her to the doctor is she is showing signs of dehydration. Has she really only had 4 sips of water since Saturday? No food at all?

Is she weeing? Is her mouth/tongue wet? Has she cried at all (tears)? Breathing okay? Eyes not looking sunken?

Little sips of water stay down better than guzzling. Ice lollies sometimes easier for them to keep down. DD sometimes responded better to a drink from a teaspoon or out of a syringe (novelty value).

clux73 · 14/03/2011 11:17

I honestly don't want to scare you but I would go to the doctor today.

My 2 year old had a bug this time last year which started on Friday and on Monday morning I took her to the doctor as she wasn't even keeping water down, They sent me straight to a&e and she was put on a drip.

Are her hands and feet cold? Is she normally asleep at this time? They told me that my daughter had started to shut down a bit through dehydration and that was why she was so sleepy and cold.

She stayed on the drip for about 6 hour and then totally perked up and we were able to take her home. Was really scary and horrible and I would always err on the side of caution now and take her in before it gets as bad as that.

ShowOfHands · 14/03/2011 11:17

Should be IF she is showing signs of dehydration.

Original poster

RobynLou · 14/03/2011 11:21

no she's never asleep at this time - ususally at preschool and hasn't had a nap in the day for a year.

she seemed better on saturday so we didn't worry too much, but now I'm worried, will ring the doctor.

thankyou.

OP posts:

ednurse · 14/03/2011 11:22

Pick up some diarolyte from the chemist and see if she can keep that down. Give 5ml every 5 mins.

numptysmummy · 14/03/2011 11:24

Was just about to post same question! Ds is 6 and has been throwing up every hlf hr or so since midnight. Had very little to drink - less than a small beaker and when he does it's straight back up. Any other signs to look out for? He was hositalised at 15mths with a rota virus...

ShowOfHands · 14/03/2011 11:24

It's normal for them to sleep when they've had a vomiting bug. It's exhausting. Even adults are wiped out by them! She's only small.

The doctor will put your mind at rest better than we can. If she is showing any signs of dehydration they'll take action but don't be concerned about fatigue in isolation. Being sick takes a lot of energy especially when you're not eating.

You can make your own dioralyte type stuff if you aren't going to a chemist.

clux73 · 14/03/2011 11:26

Please take her to the doctor. She sounds exactly like my daughter did.
Really don't want to seem overly dramatic but I would be prepared for the doctor to send you to a&e for some fluids, so take a bag of snacks/toys/spare clothes. I ended up dashing straight to a&e and i had nothing with me, and only about 50p in my purse! Best to be prepared!

THinking of you and hope she's ok soon. Its such a horrible horrible thing to have to cope with.

clux73 · 14/03/2011 11:29

Numptysmummy

Sorry to hear he's so poorly. Try syringing in 5ml of water every 5 minutes - that's what they advised me.

numptysmummy · 14/03/2011 11:30

Thanks clux - always seems to hot him the hardest. Bug going round but everyone else has been sick a couple of times and then fine.

clux73 · 14/03/2011 11:33

My 5 year old had it on Friday - she was sick a few times over a few hours but that was it. Her friend at school was apparently sick for 15 hours! They're all so different.

Its horrible. I HATE it when they're ill.

Hope he perks up soon. Just take it very slow and steady. Little sips very often.

Original poster

RobynLou · 14/03/2011 11:42

ok, we're off to the docs, also having a 5 week old and no car really complicates these situations!

OP posts:

gotobedsleepyhead · 14/03/2011 11:44

Dioralyte in sips via a spoon or a syringe, that way he can't guzzle it and end up gagging. We were in a&e a while back & overheard a nurse tell a vomiting patient to only drink the electrolyte replacement (not water or juice) as the child's body would reject anything it didn't need.

Sickness bugs are rotten, especially when they're so little.
Good luck x

numptysmummy · 14/03/2011 12:03

Good luck RobynLou

annoyingdevil · 14/03/2011 12:14

From bitter experience, water makes them vomit more. If mine are desperate for a drink, I give them an ice cube to suck. I would be giving dioralyte at this stage.

A pediatric nurse once told me that if they keep fluid down for 15 mins, they will be absorbing enough to avoid dehydration.

clux73 · 14/03/2011 13:34

Let us know how you get on at the doctor

Pleiades45 · 14/03/2011 17:09

I've just seen this and my advice might not be of any use now, but flat lemonade is the best thing, it does the same as the dioralyte but doesn't taste as yucky. I always keep bottle of lemonade tucked away in case I need it. It was my GP who recommended this with the comment,'forget the teeth for a few days'.

clux73 · 14/03/2011 18:23

RobynLou

Hope everything is ok.

Original poster

RobynLou · 14/03/2011 19:59

hiya,
well I got very worried about her when we were getting ready to go to the docs, she went very floppy, was awake but not really with it, so packed her into the buggy which she hasn't been in in a year and she barely fits in anymore bless her and set off for the docs, they kept us waiting for over half an hour, during which time DD managed to have a few sips of water and keep them down, by the time we saw the doctor DD was still obv ill but so so much better.

she's now continued keeping down sips of water and eaten a little plain pasta and some apple, she's in bed now but was being her normal cheeky self before she went up so is definitely on the mend!

thankyou so much for telling me to go to the docs, if I'd left it I would've gotten very scared when she went floppy.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly little ones can get ill but also how quickly they can get better.

OP posts:

clux73 · 14/03/2011 20:17

Great news that she's getting better. Really pleased for you.

ShowOfHands · 14/03/2011 20:42

They bounce back really quickly.

Don't worry if she remains tired for a few days. It's so draining being sick. Also, she has an irritated gut lining so it's perfectly possible that she could still have a bit of an upset stomach or could vomit again. This can happen. Dairy in particular can be an irritant and gastro bugs can cause a temporary lactose intolerance so if you notice she's not so good after dairy, just avoid it for a while.

Glad she's on the mend.

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