Vomiting

This occurs commonly in infancy and childhood. Usually associated with an illness or a structural abnormality, vomiting is characterized by a forceful ejection of stomach contents. Severe vomiting places strain on the stomach and esophagus and may cause internal bleeding. If the vomit is aspirated into the lungs, the child may develop pneumonia. Repeated vomiting can also lead to dehydration, shock, disruption of metabolism and slowed growth.

It is important to distinguish vomiting from regurgitation or "spitting up," which occurs frequently in infancy. Spitting up is a free flow of stomach contents resulting from overfeeding or feeding too fast, and is no cause for alarm.

WHAT CAUSES VOMITING?
In a newborn, persistent vomiting can be caused by infection or a congenital abnormality, such as an inborn metabolic error. During the second to ninth week of life, a serious cause of persistent vomiting is pyloric stenosis, a narrowing of the passage between the stomach and the small intestine. In contrast, spitting up is usually due to overfeeding, improper formula preparation, excessive air swallowing or inappropriate handling after feedings. Coughing or the prolonged restriction of movement can also induce vomiting in an infant or child.

Vomiting is a common symptom in infectious diseases, flu, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and meningitis; disorders of the central nervous system, such as brain tumors or inflammation, trauma, peptic ulcer, metabolic disorders, food poisoning and many other conditions.

Some children develop a cyclic pattern of vomiting accompanied by abdominal pain. Typically, the child is well between episodes but vomits and retches uncontrollably during an attack. Such cyclic vomiting can occur in a number of disorders, including migraine headaches and epilepsy.

Persistent vomiting that has no apparent organic cause, may signal stress or an emotional disorder. Occasionally, it can be brought on by sights, smells or sounds. In older children or adolescents, vomiting may be due to eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia. Many medications can also cause vomiting, including common antibiotics and even asprin.

Excerpt from THE DISNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BABY & CHILD CARE, (C)1995 DSH Communications, Inc. This material is based on current medical research and, to the best of the editors' knowledge and understanding, is accurate and valid. However the reader should not use information contained in this material to alter a medically prescribed regimen or as a form of self-treatment, without seeking the advice of a licensed physician.