Things mothers must know when their children cough and vomit

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Mai Kieu Anh - Pediatric Center, Vinmec Times City International Hospital.
Coughing and spitting up is a problem that many newborns and breastfed babies face. If you are raising a baby in the early stages of life, you need to know the basics of coughing and vomiting in this period.

1. Children with a lot of coughing and vomiting can be a symptom of a medical condition that mothers should not ignore

Coughing and vomiting are common symptoms in young children, especially infants and children under 1 year of age. This phenomenon can be physiological or pathological, so mothers need to be equipped with knowledge to distinguish the cause, as well as when to take the child to a medical facility for care.

Coughing is a protective reflex of the body, which occurs when there is a foreign object or secretions in the airways. The cough reflex helps open the airways and improves the efficiency of the respiratory system when there is a foreign object in the way. However, if the child coughs a lot, affecting play and sleep, or accompanied by signs of fever, wheezing, rapid breathing, difficulty breathing, ... then mothers should take the child to a medical facility to be visited. examination and treatment. Common diseases that cause cough in children are pharyngitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia,...
Vomiting is also a common symptom in young children, which is the reverse phenomenon of substances contained in the substance. stomach to mouth. The cause may be due to: After eating too much, the child twists, stretches or changes position suddenly. In this case, the cough is not a disease, the most common cause is the mistake of feeding the baby.
Sometimes vomiting is also a symptom of diseases such as: Diseases of the digestive system (gastroesophageal reflux, digestive disorders, intestinal obstruction, enteritis,...), diseases of the system neurological diseases (meningitis, encephalitis,...), diseases of the respiratory system (nasopharynx, pneumonia, bronchitis,...).
Suggestive signs: Vomiting everything eaten, not gaining weight, eating poorly, refusing to breastfeed, fever, fatigue, fussiness, diarrhea,... these are warning signs and mothers need take the child to the hospital for examination and treatment.

2. Causes of children coughing and vomiting

Respiratory system diseases such as: nasopharyngitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, bronchiolitis, bronchial asthma, ... are the leading causes of cough in young children. This is also one of the most common diseases in this age group. The cause of the illness is usually a virus, followed by bacteria, atypical bacterial agents, fungi,... The younger the child, the more immature the immune system, the higher the chance of getting sick and the tendency The course is more severe and lasts longer than in older children.

Digestive diseases: Gastroesophageal reflux, digestive disorders, enteritis, intestinal obstruction, vomiting cycle, ... are one of the common causes of vomiting in young children.
Mistakes about the diet that mothers often make such as feeding the child too full, forcing the child to eat too much, making the child afraid of food, improper breastfeeding, etc. Should hold the child in a high head position and pat the child on the back to burp, do not put the child to lie down immediately after eating to help the child reduce vomiting after eating.
Other rare diseases: Meningitis, encephalitis, sepsis ... These are very rare causes, but if encountered, they are often very serious and dangerous. Therefore, if the child has a cough, vomiting accompanied by high fever, convulsions, lethargy, difficulty waking up, ... the mother needs to take the child to a medical facility as soon as possible for timely treatment.

3. Instruct mothers on how to take care of children with cough and vomiting

Keeping children warm With children who are coughing, mothers need to pay attention to keep their children warm, wear warm enough clothes, do not let the air conditioner in the room be too cold, especially at night and in the morning. In winter, it is necessary to keep the baby's respiratory tract warm with a scarf. When going outside, it is necessary to wear warm clothes and wear a mask.
Strengthening children's health Feeding children with adequate nutrients and a variety of foods helps children have good health and a healthy immune system to fight pathogens. During the illness, children should be encouraged to drink water, especially fruit juices, to help provide essential vitamins and necessary amounts of water for children.
Split meals during the day With young children, especially newborns, they will often vomit due to their small stomach, horizontal stomach position, weak gastric sphincter. To reduce this symptom, mothers should divide meals during the day to help the baby's stomach digest faster, to avoid vomiting out. Mothers should choose foods that are easy to digest, easy to swallow, and the liquid level of the food is suitable for each stage of the child's development.
Change the diet Many mothers make mistakes in feeding their babies as mentioned above. Mothers need to change to help children have a healthy digestive system and minimize vomiting symptoms. Forcing children to eat can have the opposite effect, making them afraid of food and vomiting a lot. Do not force children to eat too full, do not put children lying down immediately after eating, do not cook foods that are too thick for young children or vice versa, the consistency of food should be changed as children grow older.

4. Pay attention when your baby is vomiting

If the baby vomits, the mother should have the baby sit with his head tilted forward or lie on his side, to avoid food falling into the trachea. Absolutely do not hold the child while vomiting, it is possible that the vomit will overflow into the airways, causing difficulty breathing, severe respiratory failure for the child.
When the child has finished vomiting, a certain amount of water has been lost in the body, so the mother needs to replenish the baby's water to make up for the lost electrolytes. Children can drink oresol, filtered water or diluted juice. Give the baby a little drink, slowly, absolutely do not put it into the bottle to feed the baby or give it to the baby to drink too quickly.
Expert advice:
When the baby coughs, vomits too much with the abnormal signs as mentioned above, the mother should take the child to the hospital for advice and examination by doctors. Currently, there are many vaccines that can prevent most common respiratory and digestive diseases. Mothers can consult and listen to advice to prevent illness for their baby in the best way. Coughing and vomiting are common symptoms in young children that mothers need to pay special attention to. The first stage of life is when the baby's body is developing, the immune system is not yet mature, so it is susceptible to many diseases. When the baby has a cough, runny nose, and vomiting, many parents can take the baby to Vinmec for early examination and treatment, to avoid causing dangerous complications. For children to be healthy and develop well, it is necessary to have a nutritious diet in terms of quantity and quality balance. If children are not provided with adequate and balanced nutrients, it will lead to diseases of excess or lack of nutrients, which adversely affect the comprehensive development of children in terms of physical, mental and motor skills.
Children who do not eat properly are at risk of micro-mineral deficiency causing anorexia, growth retardation, malabsorption,... If they notice the above signs, parents should supplement their children with products. The supplement contains lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, and B vitamins to help fully meet the nutritional needs of children. At the same time, these essential vitamins also support digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, help improve anorexia, and help children eat well.
Parents can learn more:
Signs of zinc deficiency in children
Micronutrient deficiency and failure to gain weight in children
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your child. Take care of the baby and the whole family.