When (if) to take a vomity baby to A&E?

[belindarose]

I had a d&v bug (well, d actually!) for a couple of days. Seems to have gone.

Baby DS, 20 weeks, EBF, has been vomiting since 6am. After every feed, except the last one an hour ago and he's feeding while asleep now. Yellowy biley sick, or the whole milk feed.

He's been quiet and sleepy, but has just had a good 'normal' cry before settling down to a feed/ sleep.

Nappies pretty dry.

He's a very low weight - 0.4th centile.

DH is a doctor and thinks it's too soon to take him to A&E. I'm inclined to agree if he keeps this feed down as he did the last - hopefully on the mend. But if he's sick again, what do you think? Am I being PSB?

I would take them if they seemed to be keeping nothing down and no wet nappies for 6-8 hrs or so - depending on how they are in themselves though.

Lots of tiny frequent feeds. Lots. Lots. Every time he wriggles or squeaks and keep an eye on those nappies.

Signs of dehydration - lethargy, dry nappies, sometimes sunken fontanelle, slack skin that stays pinched.

It's probably the same bug, the only thing hospital can really do for him is a drip so if he doesn't need a drip yet I wouldn't take him yet, IYKWIM.

Hope he gets better soon, FWIW I am always much iller than the children with these things, he may improve quickly.

But trust your instincts - no one will mind checking over a poorly baby so if you don't like the look of him, take him anyway.

I wouldn't wait too long. When ds was 14 months - and a big, chunky boy - he got a bug and was vomiting every 2 hours. I thought he was keeping enough liquid down inbetween the vomiting: we called pediatrician who said give it more time, but the next day he was still being sick. We went to hospital and they said he looked fine but took a blood test which established he was seriously dehydrated. Ended up on a drip for 3 days, the senior doctor said he was in a really bad way and that we'd waited way too long before bringing him in. He was fine in the end but it was a bit scary.

They also said the vomiting wasn't even due to the bug anymore by the second day, but because his whole system was messed up.

I'm sure your baby will be fine but he is much younger and smaller than our ds was, don't leave it too long.

Thanks. He's just been feeding for an hour, so some of that will be absorbed at least. I'll keep a close eye on him.

Now he's having long feeds, but sleeping during them. On the third one now. He's still being sick in between though. God, I don't know what to do. DH thinks he's fine (and he is a doctor, though not a paediatrician).

nappies wet? I am an HCP by trade too and it's much harder to sort out my own DCs

A couple of wet nappies. And a wee all over me while being changed! No poos all day but that's not particularly unusual for him.

Why does it always have to be the weekend when these things happen? Our GPs are brilliant but OOH service are awful here.

Plenty of wee is a very good sign. Concentrated or very little wee suggests dehydration. NHSDirect still exist for now - you could discuss it with them before they disappear entirely? Or just have a telephone consult with the OOH if you wanted?

I think he's kept the last feed down. Feeding again now. He seems better than this morning. I'll keep him close. Thanks for the reassurance.

Oh bugger. It's a 5am Sunday morning trip to A&E down dark flooded lanes for me. Very sick just now for first time since bed at 9pm. Nappy I put on then is dry. He's fed a couple of times overnight so I thought he was okay. Hot and sleepy now, refusing to feed.

Good luck at A&E. IME they prioritise babies highly so hopefully you'll be seen soon.

Hi, just wanted to say hope your ds is ok. I think you're definitely doing the right thing in taking him. My dd2 is 18 weeks, and they're just so little still, it's not worth taking the risk of leaving it.

Oh dear Belinda. I'd say it would be a good idea to go to a and e if no wet nappy overnight. I hope your baby's feeling better soon and the journey there isn't too bad.

How is he now?

Hope everything is okay

How is he doing? I really hope he is on the mend.

Thanks for your kind thoughts. We're just home after a long day. 4 hours in A&E trying to get him to take oral rehydration fluids, then the rest of the day on the paediatric ward doing the same. He did two wees and smiled a bit, so they decided he was okay.

It's nicer to be at home for the night, of course, and all he wants is me and breastfeeds. But I'm not confident that he's any better than when we went in, so will be having a vigilant night.

Sorry to hear you've had a rough day. I'm no medic, but surely they could have just put him on a drip? My dd2 is 18 weeks, and I had trouble getting a tiny spoon of Calpol into her today, so it can't have been easy getting rehydration fluid in. When they're ebf, it's just all strange to them isn't it! I really hope your ds has a better night tonight. It's such a worry when they're poorly isn't it.

I thought that too, but they said they didn't want to do that if oral rehydration worked. It didn't, because he wouldn't take it! He's fed a lot so far overnight and kept it down, so I'm feeling hopeful.

Mine, on the other hand, has returned. It's as if it stopped for me to deal with the baby and, now he's on the mend, has come back. Horrendous stomach cramps and diarrhoea. So very, very glad we're at home and I'm not sleeping on a hospital chair!

Hope he (and you) are better today.

Getting a drip in at that age can be a nightmare, their veins are so small. With ds one of the nurses ended up in tears because they couldn't get it in and he was getting so distressed.

Oh dear, sorry to hear you're poorly again! Have you got someone around at home to help? It's awful looking after a baby when you're ill isn't it, I had d&v a few weeks ago, and thank goodness, dh was at home. How's your ds today?

Thanks. I'm better again today - well, the diarrhoea has stopped but I feel totally drained. DH has had the day off to look after DD really, but he feels a bit unwell now. He thinks it's just tiredness though. The baby has been sick a few times today but is feeding and weeing, so I think he's turned the corner.

We all just need some sleep and a good dose of luck to prevent DD and DH getting it too.