The most common cause of diarrhea and vomiting in children is viral gastroenteritis (primarily rotavirus). The illness itself is usually not dangerous; the real danger is becoming dehydrated. All management focuses on this.

Signs of Dehydration — Memorize These

Mild-moderate Severe (EMERGENCY)
Dry mouth No urine at all for 8+ hours
Fewer wet diapers Crying without tears, sunken eyes
Mild lethargy Sunken fontanelle
Increased thirst Excessive sleepiness, unresponsiveness
Decreased skin turgor

The 4 Rules of Home Management

  1. Give ORS (oral rehydration solution). Ready-made packets from the pharmacy; 50-100 ml after each diarrheal stool, depending on age. Give it in small amounts and often.
  2. Do not stop feeding. Continue breastfeeding exactly as before; in older children, keep up tolerated foods such as yogurt, soup, potatoes, and bread. Acidic/sugary drinks (packaged fruit juice, soda) make diarrhea worse.
  3. For vomiting, wait and start small: 30 minutes after the last vomit, start with a teaspoon and increase gradually.
  4. Zinc and probiotics: With your doctor's recommendation, these can shorten the duration of diarrhea.

❌ Anti-diarrheal medications are not used in children — they can cause toxins to build up in the intestine. ❌ Antibiotics are unnecessary for most diarrhea; in bloody, feverish diarrhea, the doctor decides.

Go to the ER

Bloody diarrhea • bilious (green) vomiting • severe signs of dehydration • feverish diarrhea in a baby younger than 3 months • severe abdominal pain • inability to keep down any fluid for more than 12 hours

Prevention: Hand hygiene + the rotavirus vaccine largely protects babies from severe diarrhea.