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Have you ever had a stomach virus or had to watch your child suffer through it? If you have, you know how tough it can be. We had it pass briefly through our house last week, in my youngest and my oldest kids. Boy, were those few days loooooong! We’ve all perfected the art of watching our hands because of it! I’ll share with you how we survived that stomach virus – from a mommy doc perspective.
How it all played out
The day before this all started, my youngest actually seemed 100% okay. He didn’t eat so well, but that’s typical of his up-and-down toddler appetite. Some days he eats great, and some days he just starves himself. That’s just his norm.
But, he woke up the next morning gagging and seemed to spit up right away. I figured his stomach was just a little upset, so I got him up and dressed for school. He was in good spirits. He started drinking his usual morning milk as my husband drove him to school.
We all left home, then I got a text from my husband. The baby threw up twice on his way to school and didn’t look so good. They were big throw-ups this time.
By then, I knew what we were dealing with. I struggled between taking him to work with me, finding someone to watch him, or staying home with him. We do typically have a child-care back up plan (my parents!), but it was so last minute, and needed someone right then.
Realizing my workday would be too busy to bring him along with me, and with him being so uncomfortable, I stayed home with him. And I’m glad I did.
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From The Pediatrician Perspective
There are many viruses that cause a “stomach virus”. The more popular ones are Norovirus, Adenovirus, and Rotavirus. Outbreaks of the viruses that cause a stomach virus are pretty common, since the viruses are contagious and can spread pretty quickly. Most of these outbreaks happen between November and April.
Symptoms
The symptoms of a stomach virus are pretty clear-cut. Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and belly pain are the most common symptoms of a stomach virus. Kids can also get fevers, headaches, and body aches that are all related to the virus. If there’s diarrhea, it should not be bloody. That could be a sign of a more serious infection.
Spread
Stomach viruses can spread from one person to another, through foods, and on surfaces that have been infected. It spreads easily, especially if a child with the virus uses the bathroom without washing their hands afterwards.
Duration
The symptoms usually start 1-2 days after being exposed to the virus. It usually lasts for about 3-5 days, but can be up to a week in some cases.
Treatment
The treatment for stomach viruses is “supportive”. Children should be given plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. And lots and lots of rest. Offer drinks like Pedialyte and Gatorade to replace electrolytes that are lost in the diarrhea. Anti-nausea medications (like Zofran) can be used to help with vomiting. Probiotics can be used to help slow down diarrhea, along with bland foods like bread, rice, applesauce, etc, if they can tolerate it. IV fluids (in the emergency room) may be necessary to hydrate a child that can’t keep anything down.
Prevention
The best way to prevent a stomach virus is to practice good hygiene. Encourage your kids to wash their hands often. Especially before eating and after using the bathroom. Keep all surfaces clean and disinfected. Prepare foods in a clean environment. Avoid close contact with people who are infected.
Complications
Because of the vomiting and diarrhea, it can be easy for children to get dehydrated from a stomach virus. A child who is vomiting everything can’t keep down the fluids he needs to stay hydrated. Plus, he loses so much fluid from diarrhea. If your child is urinating less than usual, has a decrease in tears, has dizziness, or is extremely tired or fussy, he could be dehydrated. Your child should be checked out by a physician ASAP if you’re worried.
From A Mom’s Perspective
My baby boy threw up two more times when I got him from my husband that morning and we headed back home. By that point, he was dry heaving. I could see the tiredness in his face.
He didn’t want to eat. He didn’t want to play.
So much was going on in his little body, and he didn’t like the way it felt. He gave me the saddest looks – telling me he just wanted mommy to make it all go away.
Luckily, since mommy is a Pediatrician, we had Zofran on hand. He took it, had some Gatorade a little while later, then had a nice 3-hour nap.
He woke up a completely different boy.
We still struggled with his appetite for a few days, but he’s now back to his normal destructive self!
Here are some practical ways you can spend quality time with your kids – even when sick
Within a few days, the stomach virus also hit my oldest, who’s 14. I have to admit that vomit is probably one of the worst things for me to have to deal with – especially big-kid and adult vomit! But, I lovingly cleaned up the entire meal she threw up the first night of her illness, and just supported her through it the next couple of days.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem to affect anyone else in the house, and now that we’re a week out, I think we’re in the clear!
It’s hard when your child’s the patient
As a mom, it’s tough to watch your child go through a stomach virus. You start to feel helpless, because there’s no magic medicine that you can give to make the virus go away any quicker.
My son, who is typically in love with food, couldn’t stand to have anything come anywhere close to his mouth. Gagging and throwing up seemed to scare him, and made him so uncomfortable.
My daughter was also miserable and couldn’t enjoy her day. I could only give them medications to help their symptoms and sit back and hope that it all went away fast.
Moments like this remind me of the discussions I have with the parents I see in my office. I have a hard time telling parents their child has a virus, and there’s no cure for it – except for time.
“His body just needs to fight it off”, I say (and I mean).
“His immune system will get stronger.”
But, after watching my own kids suffer, I know how hard it is to accept that. My kids were fighting it the best way they could. They just wanted it all to be over.
And I’m glad it finally is!
If your little one is suffering through a stomach virus, some other virus, or an illness like strep throat, know that I feel your pain and am here as a mommy and Pediatrician to support you through it! You will get through it, and your little one’s body will be stronger on the other side! Here’s to better, healthier days for our kids!
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