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What's Normal When Your Kid Has a Stomach Bug?

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What's Normal When Your Kid Has a Stomach Bug?

Aug 25, 2021

When a child starts throwing up or has diarrhea from a stomach bug, it can make parents nervous. On today's Health Minute, pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner explains what to normally expect when a child catches a stomach bug, how best to treat the child, and what symptoms to look for that are not normal that may require an urgent visit to a physician.

Episode Transcript

Interviewer: It seems like your kids' stomach bug is lasting forever. Pediatrician Dr. Cindy Gellner, how long is normal?

Dr. Gellner: We're seeing a lot of this lately, the stomach virus going around that causes vomiting and diarrhea. While vomiting usually stops in about 6 to 24 hours, diarrhea can last up to 2 weeks. So don't be surprised if that lingers. The good news is the first few days are usually the worst. If your child has vomiting without diarrhea and it last for several days, it's time to get checked out. If you see blood in the vomit and your child hasn't had a nosebleed or a mouth injury, get them checked out quickly in the emergency room, as it could be serious. And if your child hasn't peed for over 12 hours, it's also time to go to the emergency room. You're going to want to keep them hydrated. Small sips of clear fluids and no solid foods for about four hours once they've started vomiting.

updated: August 25, 2021
originally published: January 9, 2018