How to prevent and treat gastro in babies and toddlers

By Sabrina Rogers-Anderson

The word “gastro” is enough to send chills down the spine of any parent who’s been through it before. The vomiting and diarrhoea, the endless washing, the sleepless nights, the feeling that this horrible illness will never end… and then a second member of the family gets struck down and the cycle starts all over again. 

Fear not, brave warrior! We have some solid tips to help you prevent gastroenteritis and we’ll also guide you through if you’ve been unlucky enough to catch it. 

What is gastroenteritis?

Gastroenteritis, or gastro, is an illness characterised by stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. It may also be accompanied by a fever, body aches and lethargy. Gastro is usually caused by a virus, but bacteria or parasites can sometimes be to blame. It can last anywhere from three to 10 days.

How can gastro be prevented?

Gastro is highly contagious. Here are a few tips to help prevent the spread of gastro:

• make sure every family member washes their hands regularly with soap and water
• change hand towels and towels frequently 
• don’t allow family members to share cups, drink bottles, dummies or cutlery 
• clean the bathroom regularly, especially the toilet seat, taps and door handles 
• clean the kitchen thoroughly, especially food preparation surfaces, taps and handles 
• keep your child away from child care or school until vomiting and diarrhoea have subsided for 48 hours

How should gastro be treated?

Most cases of gastro can be treated at home with these simple tips:

Regularly offer small amounts of fluids

Gastro can lead to dehydration, so it’s important to keep your child’s fluids up. If you’re breastfeeding, give your child smaller and more frequent feeds. You can also offer small sips of an electrolyte rehydration product (such as Hydralyte or Gastrolyte) between feeds.

If your child is bottle fed, stop giving formula and offer only an electrolyte rehydration drink for 24 hours. Reintroduce smaller, more frequent formula feeds after 24 hours and supplement with an electrolyte drink in-between if needed.

For toddlers, offer small sips of an electrolyte drink every 15 minutes. Your child may vomit the fluid back up, but you should keep administering it regularly. You can also give your child electrolyte icy poles (such as Hydralyte) or diluted fruit juice or lemonade to boost hydration.

Don’t force food

If your child refuses food for the first day or two, don’t force the issue. When they’re hungry, offer small amounts of bland foods such as bread, rice or plain pasta until their tummy settles.

Avoid dairy products for the first week after a bout of gastro because they may prolong diarrhoea.

Avoid anti-diarrhoeal or anti-vomiting medications

There’s no evidence that they work for gastro and they may actually trap the infection inside the body. In most cases, antibiotics will also be useless because gastro is generally caused by a virus.>

When should you take your child to the doctor?

You know your child best, so see your GP or head to your closest hospital if you have any concerns about your child’s wellbeing. 

Here are a few symptoms that warrant a visit to your GP’s office:

• any gastro symptoms in a child under the age of six months
• severe vomiting or diarrhoea
• inability to keep any fluids down.

Head to a hospital emergency department without delay if your child experiences any of the following symptoms:

• signs of dehydration, including not passing urine, sunken eyes, cold hands and feet, paleness or drowsiness
• blood in the stool or vomit
• green vomit
• severe stomach pain
• any other symptoms that indicate your child is very unwell.

If your child is very dehydrated, fluids might need to be administered through a tube in the nose or intravenously.

Gastro feels like it’ll never end, but it does eventually. Stock up on icy poles and strategically place buckets around the house until it’s over!