After a child vomits, his stomach is empty. Is it right to replenish water and food immediately?

At the beginning of the Year of the Snake, there are many gatherings and delicious meals every day. At this time, children with weak digestive ability may experience indigestion such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc. if they eat too much, too fast, or eat foods that are difficult to digest. Recently, most children who come to the outpatient clinic for treatment are in this regard.

Some children who come to the hospital for indigestion will say that they are very thirsty, but they easily spit out water when they drink it. At this time, should we give them water? How to judge?

First, let us understand acute gastroenteritis.

Acute gastroenteritis is an acute inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The main clinical manifestations are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, etc. It occurs mostly due to improper diet, overeating, or eating raw, cold, rotten, dirty and unclean food.

Main symptoms

1. Have a history of overeating or eating unclean, rotten or spoiled food.

2. The onset is acute, with frequent nausea and vomiting, severe abdominal pain, or frequent diarrhea, mostly watery stools that may contain undigested food, a small amount of mucus, or even blood.

3. Fever, headache, general malaise and varying degrees of poisoning symptoms are common. Frequent vomiting and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and acidosis in a few cases.

The treatment of acute gastroenteritis mainly includes two aspects: drug therapy and dietary conditioning.

1. Drug treatment: Determine whether to use antibiotics, antiviral drugs, electrolytes and anti-emetic drugs according to the condition. The specific use of drugs should be carried out according to the doctor's instructions, and drugs should not be abused at will.

2. Diet adjustment:

(1) Slowly resume diet: In the early stage of acute gastroenteritis, children should temporarily fast and, in severe cases, should not drink anything. They should only eat a small amount of easily digestible liquids, such as rice soup, porridge, etc. After the diarrhea and vomiting symptoms are relieved, they can gradually resume a normal diet.

(2) Avoid eating irritating foods: During the recovery period, children should try to avoid eating spicy, greasy, and irritating foods to avoid increasing the gastrointestinal burden.

(3) Replenish water and electrolytes: Symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting make patients prone to dehydration, so they need to replenish water and electrolytes in appropriate amounts. If the symptoms are mild, you can drink small amounts of light salt water or oral rehydration salt solution multiple times to effectively replenish the missing water and electrolytes in the body. However, if the symptoms are severe, even if you are thirsty during the acute phase, you should not drink water for 1 to 2 hours after vomiting. Wait until the symptoms are slightly relieved, and then try again slowly with small amounts multiple times. Because after gastrointestinal dysfunction, electrolytes are also unbalanced. When a child vomits severely, the body loses too much water and is prone to hypernatremia. At this time, the child will feel very thirsty and want to drink water, but it is precisely at this time that you should not drink a lot of water, otherwise it will aggravate the vomiting.

(4) Pay attention to hygiene habits: Acute gastroenteritis can be easily transmitted through food or water, so it is very important to maintain good hygiene habits. Pay attention to personal hygiene, avoid eating unclean food, cook food before eating, and keep eating utensils clean.

3. Pediatric massage

(1) Move the Inner Bagua: The main function of the Inner Bagua is to promote the flow of qi and eliminate stagnation, resolve phlegm and relieve asthma, and relieve nausea and vomiting. It is located on the palm of the hand. Draw a circle with the Laogong point in the palm as the center and the lower 2/3 of the line from the center to the root of the middle finger as the radius. This is the location of the Inner Bagua. When operating, hold the child's left hand with your left hand, cover the Li Gua below the middle finger with your thumb, and make a circular movement with your right hand.

Shun Yun Nei Ba Gua is used to help children with spleen and stomach qi imbalance, which causes stomach bloating and abdominal distension, and help them promote qi and digestion.

Reverse the Inner Bagua and use it when children have vomiting, hiccups, nausea, and acid reflux due to gastric gastritis.

(2) Clockwise and counterclockwise abdominal massage: also called Tai Chi abdominal massage, it directly acts on the spleen and stomach area, promoting the circulation of qi and blood and the function of the spleen and stomach. You can use your palms to massage the child's abdomen clockwise and counterclockwise for 5-10 minutes each time, which can promote gastrointestinal motility and help digestion.

Acute gastroenteritis is a common disease, and in most cases the symptoms will ease in about a week. At the same time, in daily life, we should maintain good hygiene habits and pay attention to diet conditioning to prevent the occurrence of acute gastroenteritis.