How long can a 2 year old safely not eat for? Vomiting etc.

[skydancer1]

Hi my Ds has been vomiting up any (most) milk and refusing all solids for going on two days now. He is taking sips or a gulp or two of water here and there. yesterday I was worried about dehydration as he wasn't even drinking much and his eyes looked a little 'sunken' (mind you, he understandably looked peaky generally). No diarrhea or temperature but just wondering how long he can go on like this before I need to take him to the doctors (maybe I should have already?) Any advice appreciated.

2 days with little fluids, vomitting, and the weekend looming - GP defo in our house!

Has your ds had a wee???

Nappies only a little wet, but he must be peeing even if only tiny amounts. Trouble is we are abroad at the mo so it's either paying for a private doctor or taking him to a&E, which would seem a bit dramatic up to this point...

Ds eating a little bit and drinking quite a bit more now - so maybe problem solved....Thanks for your reply though medowflowers.If he throws up again it's down to the docs.

I would have said a 48 hr limit no food fluids 4 hours

good luck hope he's ok xxx

Ok thanks for that. I'm a bit surprised at the 'four hours' for liquids (where do you get that from as it sounds very specific?), as of course kids don't drink when they're asleep. Though presuming you mean daylight hours CWE, yes DS normally drinks loads during the day.

yes day time

if they are ill as you said - vomiting/ diorreah and haven't had any fluids for over 4 hrs I go to the docs.

Ok thanks. No my Ds didn't have any diarreah and now he sems to be drinking normally. yesterday held down a little food too so I'm hopin he's on the mend now.

glad to hear it sd x

we have just come bk from alcudia were there was a sickness bug going round so maby that as we all had it and ds 1 could not keep any thing down atall as long as they drink sumthing lil and ofton docs do say they can last with out food any way hope ds is feeling better soon x

Thanks CWE. And Kee27 that does not sound like much of a holiday for you (sad) or maybe it all hit when you got home. Anyway that's interesting as we're in Valencia - not far from Alcudia (and on a shipping route if you mean the one in the tip of Mallorca).

Anyway our kid seems better now if still slow on eating properly again, so thanks for the helpful advice Mnetters.

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Thanks ruby. I did get into wickedly carbonated but tasty drinks in the end to try to tempt Ds but the only thing that helped in the end was going to the docs and having his nasal passages cleaned out (which involves a blunt syringe, 5ml saline solution and whipping it up each nostril while holding the other one closed (and kiddie lying on his front) if anyone is interested (but I don't think you can put so much saline up a younger babies nose??). Anyway I'm glad I went to the emregencia in the end. They thought he had an acute upper respiratory tract infection (viral), sore throat and blocked nose. He is basically well and even a bit perkier as he is drinking again and nibbling the odd little bit of food - but so little food for three weeks now that I am beginning to see all his little ribs . Oh and I've discovered paracetamol suppositories for those kids that just hate and utterly refuse to take that stuff orally.

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Sorry to hear that Riven. Your DD must have been very ill to need a drip/observing etc. I hope she's better now! I'm glad it didn't get that far with my DS.

Sorry Riven even though that was a long time ago it must have been incredibly scary! My ds was in the SCBU for eight days after his birth and it was the most stressful 8 days of my life despite the fact that his problems were supposedly not serious in the sense of life threatening.

Riven that sounds so hard for you and your dd. Do you know - or have the hospital checked - what causes her weight/immunity to be low?

I hope you get lots of help looking after your dd and I wonder how it must be for you feeding her if she has that level of difficulty with motor skills. Does she have a special feeding regime or need regular medical help with getting enough nutrients? I only have a little inkling what work you must put in as a mum as my brother has severe learning difficulties. My parents had huge problems feeding him in the early years for different reasons to you (as obviously your dd will mot be effected mentally). I'm glad to hear she goes to a mainstream school. I know what you mean about people sending their kids into nurseries/schools with illnesses - maddening! Having said that I think a lot of bugs are most infectious before they manifest as obvious symptoms so perhaps the parents aren't so much to blame.

Oy vey at six hours a day feeding Riven! Ok I shall henceforth stop complaining about my merely fussy eater - you've helped me put that one into clear perspective. I'm sorry you don't get help looking after your dd. I'm not surprised though - parents or carers of those with special needs rarely get enough or even any help. I've been thinking today (particularly gruelling day by my standards as Ds too unwell to go to nursery again) what a crap invention the nuclear family is for women. I don't want to go back to the days of mud dwelling village life but at least there were more women around to share child care no doubt!

once she gets a tube it will be a lot quicker! No more gagging and throwing whole lot back up or sneezing porridge in an attarctive pebble dash pattern across me.
We'll just give her nice things by mouth.
DH gave up work to help look after dd