Phlegm & vomiting in toddlers?

(March 13, 2012)

What are the causes and symptoms of vomiting in toddlers?

Don’t you feel really upset when your little one gets sick to the stomach and throws up repeatedly? Vomiting can be quite an unpleasant symptom for toddlers as well as their parents. However, it is a common problem and almost every child has suffered from vomiting at some time or the other.

Causes of vomiting in toddlers

There are several different factors that could cause your toddler to throw up. Given below are some of the most common causes of vomiting in toddlers:

Viral or bacterial infections: A virus or bacteria can easily enter the child’s body, infecting the lining of the stomach or the intestines. In this case the vomiting stops within 24 hours.
GERD or Acid reflux: If your child vomits soon after eating, it could be due to problems like gastro esophageal reflux disorder or acid reflux.
Congestion and respiratory infections: Problems, like allergies, ear infections, coughing and common colds could all lead to vomiting in toddlers.
Consumption of poisonous substances: Children have the habit of putting everything they can get their hands on, in their mouth. At times, they could swallow something toxic, which could cause them to vomit excessively. This can also happen if your child has contaminated food or water.
Crying: It is common for children to throw up after crying excessively.

As you can see most of the causes of vomiting in toddlers can be a cause for concern and therefore should be checked by a doctor. The symptoms of vomiting in toddlers include cramps or pain in the stomach, bile and so on.

Submitted by J on March 13, 2012 at 02:04

How to get rid of congested cough in toddler?

A congested cough is a very common occurrence in toddlers. At times, the cough may be severe enough to disrupt their sleep. Unfortunately, relieving a congested cough in toddlers could be a bit of a challenge, as over the counter medicines could have an adverse effect on their bodies. However, there are several ways in which you could alleviate a toddler congested cough. Given below are a few remedies you could try, for easing the congested cough in your toddler:

Run a hot shower, with the door shut so that your bathroom gets filled with steam. Sit with your toddler in the steamy bathroom for around 10 to 15 minutes. For best results, repeat this exercise 2 or 3 times a day, to loosen the congestion and improve the cough
Make sure that your child gets to drink plenty of warm fluids. This will not only loosen the congestion, but will also relieve the uncomfortable symptoms like throat irritation. Clear liquids like warm water and broth are usually the most effective. However, check with your doctor, before you give your child anything.
Place a humidifier in your toddler’s room, to relieve the congestion. Make sure that you clean the humidifier regularly, so that your child does not suffer from allergies.
Give your toddler a warm bath just before bedtime. This helps loosen the congestion and allows the baby to sleep more peacefully. Also make your baby sleep with his or her head slightly elevated. Children cough less through the night if the head is elevated a bit.

In case the congested cough in your toddler does not improve in spite of using these remedies, it may be best for you to seek medical advice.

Submitted by N on September 26, 2011 at 05:32

What causes vomiting in toddlers at night?

As a parent, you are probably used to seeing your toddler throwing up quite often. However, you are right to be concerned if you notice your toddler vomiting at night, after being absolutely fine during the day. You may have even called your child’s pediatrician because of this, just to make sure that there is nothing to be worried about.

However, there could be several factors that trigger off vomiting in toddlers at night and some of them could be very serious or perhaps even dangerous. Given below are some of the most common causes of toddler vomiting at night:

Overeating or eating heavy food for dinner
Lying down too soon after a meal
Problems like acid reflux or GERD
Sinus problems or post nasal drip
Consumption of food or water that is contaminated and leads to food poisoning
Allergies or intolerance towards certain foods
Infections in the upper respiratory tract
Severe cough or cold Accumulation of mucus in the tummy at night

Though rare, some instances of toddler vomiting at night could be a sign of an early tumor. As you can see, most of these causes are serious and should be treated by a doctor, without any delay. Make sure that a doctor checks your child, if you notice two or more instances of toddler vomiting at night.

Submitted by J on September 15, 2011 at 01:11

When your child coughs all through the night, it is only natural that as a parent you are unable to sleep. This is a common event in every home where there is a toddler.

Cough is generally a reflex action done in order to clear the air passage and clear the irritation that happens in the throat of a child. Ideally a cough acts as a protective reflex which helps to get rid of unwanted mucus and foreign particle, if any.

Kids generally get two types of cough—wet cough and dry cough. A wet cough is generally a result of normal cold with the typical symptoms of running nose and phlegm like sound while coughing. Your child may also suffer from sneezing bouts and may complain of a blocked nose and also occasional headache and ear pain.

However, if your child is suffering from dry cough, it will be just cough with no production of phlegm. This is a typical allergic cold and will be very different from the normal cold.

Cough helps in getting rid of the phlegm accumulation that must have happened as a result of a severe cold. Many a time, a child may end up vomiting because the large quantities of phlegm may irritate the soft palate of the child leading to a vomiting sensation.

Toddlers, unlike adults, do not know that they should spit the phlegm, so they end up swallowing it. Vomiting is the only way for their bodies to expel the accumulated phlegm. The other way for it to go out of the body is through the child’s stool.

In most cases, the phlegm clears on its own by way of vomiting and by passing through the stool. So you need not worry. This happens in three to four weeks after your child catches a cold. However, if you find that your child is continuously having wet cough wherein he/she is making chesty phlegm sounds, then you need to seek the opinion of a doctor as it can be an indication of a possible chest infection.

General medication helps in treating cough but the best way for the kids to find some relief is by vomiting the phlegm out of their bodies. Wait and watch for a few days. However, if you feel that your child is not finding any relief and is suffering needlessly, take him/her to a doctor and a course of antibiotics will do the trick.

Submitted by P T on May 4, 2010 at 12:37