When to take infant to ER?

[EmmaGM]

DS has the stomach bug I just got over, I think. He's projectile vomiting every 10 minutes or so for about an hour. He's 5mos.

I'm really paranoid but he's acting normal besides the vomiting. I'm going to call the nurses line in a little bit, just wondering what DS mamas have to say.

[somo_chickenlady]

I would talk to the nurse, but if it was my child I wouldn't take them unless they don't have a wet diaper for a length of time (I can't remember off hand how long, maybe someone else will know) b/c other than fluids for dehydration, they won't really be able to do anything, and baby will be more comfortable at home. I would just give little squirts of water with a syringe every few minutes and wait it out.

I hope he feels better soon!!

ETA - This is what it says about dehydration due to vomiting on Babycenter:

He shows signs of becoming dehydrated. These can include decreased urination (more than six to eight hours without a wet diaper), dry lips and mouth, crying without tears if he's more than a couple weeks old (it takes two to three weeks for a baby to shed his first tears), lethargy, and dark yellow urine.

[keen1981]

Do you nurse? Nurse nurse nurse. My kids were like that for 12 days. And the ER said the best thing was nursing because of how quickly baby guy could absorb whatever he was getting. Stomach bugs suck. But really as long as he is taking in fluids within time frames, he will. Rnonay

[PajammaGramma]

Dehydration is the thing they worry about most with babies. Push the fluids and keep in touch on the nurse line or with the pediation. Fever, infant tylenol, but chances are that will come back up as well.

[somo_chickenlady]

Yeah, I didn't think of that (DUH!). Nurse as much as you can.

[misskira]

I agree withthe pps... Nurse as much as possible and monitor for wet and poopy diapers. Go by how he's acting more than anything. If he's sick you will know it because the crying or lethargy will start.

And for you. Sick little ones are no fun.

[EmmaGM]

Thanks ladies I only recently quit BFing due to his food sensitivities and now I feel awful guilty

The nurse said to keep him home unless he starts vomiting bile or hasn't had a wet dipe in 8 hours.

She also said some weird stuff about not feeding him til he stops vomiting and giving him Gatorade.

[AcrossTheUniverse]

If you aren't BFing, I would suggest plain pedialyte. This will help to keep his electrolyte/vitamin/mineral levels balanced while he is losing so much fluid. I wouldn't do the flavored ones or gatorade (way too much sugar).

Make sure he is having appropriate wet diaper count and that he doesn't have the other physical markers of dehydration (sunken soft spot, dry eyes, dry mouth, etc...).

ETA: I think what the nurse meant about not feeding him while he is vomiting is to not try to feed him formula or solids while he is vomiting. It will likely upset his tummy even more. I have had sick babies who had to just have plain pedialyte for 24 hours and then we slowly weaned them back on the formula (mixed formula and pedialyte and slowly increased the amount of formula and decreased the amount of pedialyte over a day or two).

[raymark]

Just going off your header 'when to take infant to ER' - if you're questioning it DO IT!
No one on a chat forum or nurses hotline who is unable to evaluate your LO in person and run some labs if necessary (following a physical evaluation) can be 110% correct that an ER trip is not necessary.

Would you rather go to the ER unnecessarily & still get the benefit of helpful medical information tailored from your child's exam......or not go & find out later that you should have?

[mekat]

Originally Posted by raymark Would you rather go to the ER unnecessarily & still get the benefit of helpful medical information tailored from your child's exam......or not go & find out later that you should have?

I don't know about the rest of the US but the flu is in full swing here. I had to take my son to the ER for autonomic crisis on Saturday and by night time it was packed.

A hospital is a wonderful place to go when you need that level of help but unnecessarily taking a sick child with an immune system already taxed from fighting one pathogen into a room swimming with highly virulent pathogens is not a good idea.

I have called the nurses line many many times with way more serious issues then the op with my special needs child and they have always been able to accurately identify when a child needs to be seen and when a medical issue can be weathered at home. They are trained to screen for danger signs and refer to the ER when necessary.