Extremely sick child - asking for water should I give her any?

[perceptionreality]

She has been sick all night but says she's really thirsty. She is vomiting bile so I think it's best for her to have nothing for a few hours but she's begging for something.

Obviously I don't want her to get dehydrated - any advice?

I definitely would. Just small sips though.

I would give her some small sips frequently, she must be very thirsty

Yes, give her small sips, she needs fluids

Yes give her a drink, poor girl, little sips.

Have a poorly one here too this morning.

A teaspoon of water, or pref rehydration fluid, every 5 minutes won't make her more sick but will rehydrate. You should never withold clear fluids

yes definitely - dioralyte if you have it. Little sips, or syringed in a few ml at a time. if she is going to throw up anyway, it is better that there is something in her stomach, and it is important she doesn't get dehydrated.

Thanks very much - I've just given her some cooled boiled water. The poor thing looks awful - I've never seen her so ill. Apparently there is a lot of sickness about atm?

Yes

small sips of rehydrating solution would be good if you have it. If not, I would give diluted fruit juice with a tiny bit of salt added - about half a level tsp in a litre.
Chicken soup or rice water with a tiny bit of salt is good too.

How old is she? I would be very worried about dehydration if she is young enough to need cooled boiled water.

Do you have any ice cubes or ice lollies?

If she's more than a few months old, the water doesn't need to be boiled or cooled.

Ok, thanks - she is 8 so not little. I was told in the past to boil the water so it doesn't aggravate the stomach but anyway I won't bother then.

Ice cubes then. They give them in hospital after a general anaesthetic.

Second dioralyte if you have time to go and get some. Will really help rehydrate more than just water

Freeze diarolyte (or if you don't have any, ribena or a sugary drink is better than plain water) and smash the ice up, put little shards in her mouth to dissolve.

Otherwise, use a medicine syringe, give her 2.5ml of water or diarolyte every 5 minutes, when you've done that for an hour and she's kept it down, increase it to 5ml every 5 mins.

She'll start vomiting from lack of fluids/dehydration otherwise. It is horrible to see your DC so sick, but the 2.5ml every 5 mins makes a HUGE difference, even if some comes back up to start with.

I put sugar into the water, which I did when they were very little but the older two girls have had about one stomach bug in their life so I'm not well up on how to treat. Thanks so much for your advice.

gp told me to give ds watered down 7up little sips

add a little salt as well as sugar - not too much - it is important

My DS is struggling with this bug at the moment.

An excellent piece of advice I had from a doctor once when DH was incredibly ill was that it's ALWAYS good to keep giving water, even if they're sicking it up, as even if it stays down just 5 mins, that's still enough time for some of the water to get into your system. It doesn't all come up, even though it may seem like it!

Also, I know this may make me the antichrist of mumsnet, but flattened Coke (passed backwards and forwards between two glasses until the bubbles go) is miraculous for settling stomachs. It was originally created as a medicine, and to this day it is actually still used in Africa where it literally saves the lives of kids who are dehydrating due to vomiting. Fact!

DIY rehydration fluid: 6 level teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 level teaspoon of salt dissolved in 1 litre of clean water.

Hope she feels better soon

Thanks all, I hope your ds is better soon Noway. She's stopped being as sick as she was this morning but is still very unwell. I've got a rehydration formula from Boots to give her.

YES GIVE A DRINK OF WATER
NOW!!!!!!!!!!1

What alfabetty said is what we were told to do when dd was in hospital dehydrated, we've used it for every sick bug since and it is the best way to get fluids in and stop the sickness.