Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Does A Sudden Onset Of Vomiting In A Child Indicate?
Question: My 5-yr-old grandson woke up this morning feeling fine and in a good mood, and went to school.Around noon, the teacher called his mother to come and get him because he had vomitted at school. When she got to the school, he was asleep in his teacher's lap, very pale, cold and clammy to the touch with a temperature around 100 (according to the school nurse). His mother carried him to the car and drove him home and put him in his bed. He did not wake up at all in that time. When he did awaken an hour or so later, she asked him how he felt to which he replied, "Fine." She asked him what happened at school and he said, "I stopped doing m work because my legs got cold." She asked about the vomitting but he did not remember that happening. She spoke with him for a few more minutes and he went back to sleep. He is not complaining of headache or any pain, but his memory loss and lethargy concern me. According to the teacher, they had not been to recess and he did not fall or injure himself at school. What might be happening?
Brief Answer:
Suspecting a gastrointestinal related abnormality, only an assumption
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. The thing about children is that it is difficult to get enough information from them that would help find the cause or reach a diagnosis, thus we have to rely heavily on investigations and clinical manifestations.
What I see from the information you have provided is the possibility of there being a stomach infection, possibly from something he ate or drank. I would thus recommend a blood examination, a stool analysis, and more importantly asking him whether he had something to eat or drink sometime prior to the presentation of his symptoms (usually 2-6 hours prior to symptom manifestation).
In most cases, your child might not provide you with enough information on his food or drink, but we also need to take into consideration the fact that children eat anything and everything they find.
I would recommend you to observe him, look for signs like abdominal pain, diarrhoea, episodes of vomiting, dry lips, increased thirst, white coated tongue, etc. If any of these symptoms are present then he might need a doctors attention. But please do in the meantime, provide him with plenty of fluids and energy drinks (e.g. gatorade) to help keep him hydrated.
Well of course this is only an assumption, but the closest one I could come up with, without being able to physically examine him or question him or go about any investigations. I hope you find my response helpful. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
Suspecting a gastrointestinal related abnormality, only an assumption
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. The thing about children is that it is difficult to get enough information from them that would help find the cause or reach a diagnosis, thus we have to rely heavily on investigations and clinical manifestations.
What I see from the information you have provided is the possibility of there being a stomach infection, possibly from something he ate or drank. I would thus recommend a blood examination, a stool analysis, and more importantly asking him whether he had something to eat or drink sometime prior to the presentation of his symptoms (usually 2-6 hours prior to symptom manifestation).
In most cases, your child might not provide you with enough information on his food or drink, but we also need to take into consideration the fact that children eat anything and everything they find.
I would recommend you to observe him, look for signs like abdominal pain, diarrhoea, episodes of vomiting, dry lips, increased thirst, white coated tongue, etc. If any of these symptoms are present then he might need a doctors attention. But please do in the meantime, provide him with plenty of fluids and energy drinks (e.g. gatorade) to help keep him hydrated.
Well of course this is only an assumption, but the closest one I could come up with, without being able to physically examine him or question him or go about any investigations. I hope you find my response helpful. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
