Advice please - gastro flu or just flu flu? and what to do?

[marsup]

DS, nearly 9 months, had an ear infection two weeks ago and it cleared up well, but now he is very out of sorts. No fever, but not eating at all - he is normally a big eater - some vomiting, no diarrhoea; a little cough and runny nose. He also gets runny eyes in the morning and his nursery said it was an ear infection or conjunctivitis and so I took him to the doctor yesterday (that was before the vomiting) and the doctor thinks it is just a bit of flu, not very serious. I find it odd that he would have an upset tummy with the flu as when I get the flu it is a nose/throat/head/fever job - do his symptoms sound familiar to anyone? Is there anything in particular I should be doing for him, apart from keeping him at home, getting him to sleep as much as possible and to drink fluids? I'm a first-time mum and would welcome advice.

Bump - he has just vomited again... Should I go back to the doctor?

I would call them anyway, and tell them about the vomiting.

I'm a little worried that your doctor said it was "just a bit of flu". AFAIK there is no such thing. You either have the flu or you don't. And when you have the flu (influenza) you're pretty ill. But the flu is, as you said, like a very severe cold, it's not a GI thing. Maybe what the doctor really meant was that it was a cold or some sort of virus.

I wouldn't worry, I'm sure it is just a virus or something, but maybe a call to your doctor to tell him/her about the new symptoms would put your mind at ease.

If he has a lot of phlegm and mucose, he might be swallowing some and that can make him vomit, Marsup. It's worth checking it out, though, if you're worried - parents are the ones who know their baby best.