The Dreaded Stomach Bug

My 3 year old son had the stomach bug this last week. He threw up all night long to the point of dry heaving. Every time he took a sip of water, he'd throw up three times as much! My heart broke everytime time he threw up or asked for water.

When I talked to the Pediatrician, here's what she said to do when he's stopped throwing up for a 2 hour period:
- give him 1 teaspoon of water (or clear liquid), every 10 minutes for 2 hours.
- if he's able to keep down, then give him 1 tablespoon of water (or clear liquid), every 10 minutes for 2 hours.
- if he's able to keep that down, then give him 1 ounce of water (or clear liquid), every 10-20 minutes for the next 24 hours or so.
- if he's able to keep the water (or clear liquid) down for 12-14 hours, then add 1/2 piece of toast or rice.

The most important thing is to keep the body hydrated. Look out for signs of dehydration:
- no tears when crying
- no pee for 8 hours (even a tinkle is ok)

If either of these occur, please call your doctor immediatley.

Now, our Pediatrician said that if diarrhea were to occur, we should keep w/ the above and then introduce the BRAT diet...bananas, rice, applesauce, toast. These foods help bind the stomach and help create more solid poops.