Why Does My Baby Keep Throwing Up?

[Molly]

My second son is 19 months old. In Sept last year he started randomly throwing up and having really nasty diapers. Two times by two different doctors I've been told it's normal for some toddlers to do this and he's fine and he'll grow out of it. Does this make sense? Is it normal for toddlers to throw up? It's pretty sporadic and random. There doesn't seem to be much connection to anything. We tried eliminating dairy for a couple months, but it didn't seem to have long lasting results. We thought things were getting better, but then about 2 or 3 weeks into the trial he started up with the same symptoms. Then we took citrus out of his diet and things started to look up. We re-introduced milk into his diet and all was well for about 2 or 3 weeks and now we're back to random diarrhea and throwing up.

Right around Christmas our family was hit with a nasty stomach virus. But we all seem to be doing fine now. He was the first to get it and had it the most mild. I don't think it's another virus. He threw up last night at about 9:30pm while he was sleeping. And he was fine all day today. He ate normally (I kept him on a mild diet today .... no milk) and drank normally. His diapers were normal today (in fact much better than they've been in many, many months). And then he threw up again just after he went to bed tonight.

Any ideas? I'm not convinced it is a food allergy, but there has got to be something wrong with his stomach. Or maybe he's fine and there's nothing wrong with him and the doc is right. I don't know. I'm tired of doing extra laundry all the time from vomit and blowouts. And, while he seems fairly unbothered, I can't imagine my baby really enjoys vomiting or having nasty diarrhea burning his bum everyday.

Anyway, I know I'm tired and frustrated and maybe I'm blowing all of this way out of proportion here. But I'd hate to think I didn't at least try to figure out what on earth is going on.

I'm off to Google it now. I hate to Google these things. It always makes me freak out even more. Ugh!

[brandall]

If he threw up like that since he was an infant I would maybe think it was something he would grow out of. But the fact that it started more recently, I would be concerned like you. If your gut is telling you it's not right then I would go and get yet another opinion. :hugg :hugg It's so rough to watch our babies suffer!

[battleax]

don't stop with just wondering if its something he ate. think about what he sticks in his mouth, period. drink the bath water any? lick the floor? wall? toys/money/keys? prelicked candy? sippy cup that you can't really get clean cuz they're from the devil?
could be a combo of dairy/citrus/germs, one week a little more of one than the other.

[Molly]

We don't have a bathtub...so definitely not that. lol I've never witnessed him licking anything....nasty sippys is always an option.

I'm going to try a probiotic for him. See if that helps. Sometimes it takes time for the tummy to heal from a nasty virus! Maybe it's acid reflux. Maybe it's nothing. haha I wasn't terribly worried about it until yesterday. Now all of a sudden I'm worried. Could be my attitude about life in general right now. It's pretty crappy!! So, I'm going to sleep on it. From google it sounds like A LOT of toddlers have these same symptoms. Maybe the doc was right. It happens. lol He's growing normally, developing normally and a generally happy kid. So, I can't imagine it's a huge deal whatever it is. We'll see how the weekend goes.

[BeckMom]

That tummy bug was vicious!!! J has it back again, as does his sister! I don't think it ever totally went away. He also has the same things going on that you described for G. I think it's just normal since their little digestive systems are still young as well as what Battleax said about whatever else goes in their mouths we don't see. The probiotics might not be a bad idea. I am not too worried about it with J since he seems ok otherwise...

[kandjmomma]

I know you and I have kind of talked a bit about this but I would keep searching. I have had J off of dairy for almost 2 weeks now and so far so good. I have to say I really really doubted dairy because he was throwing up every couple days not every single day. I am still not sure if it is a fluke or actually dairy. SHe told me to keep a food journal for him just to see if I could find a connection and it may not be obvious, could be a spice or something. The next step for us was an allergist and a GI. When I took J in she did not think at all that it was a normal toddler thing and something had to be causing it. SHe also told me to take him off all that stuff because it could just be that his intestinal lining and stuff got torn up from the tummy virus and it needed time to heal. I plan on trying the dairy again in a week or so just to see how we do.

Does he have a time he throws up? J was either doing it in the middle of the night of before 10 am (when he had a bottle of milk before bed and a bottle when he woke up). The diarrhea ALWAYS followed the throwing up. Keep a jpournal of his "trends" and if you have to try a new doc. The probiotics are probably a good idea! Ours lasted 7 weeks with him throwing up at;east once a week.

[kandjmomma]

I was also going to say we did not think J really seemed "off" at all but now that he has not been throwing up he is sooooo freaking happy, a kid I have not seen in a while.

[Emily]

Personally, I'd go to a GI doc and see what they have to say. When Brady was having all these same issues from 9 months on, we learned to cut dairy, soy, gluten and a few other things that were "intolerances and sensitivities" vs. true allergies. If you can, start with dairy as it's the most common culprit and do a 2 week elimination. If he's still having issues, talk to a doc.

:bighug

[Molly]

Well, this morning he threw up again and he seems ill. Maybe it is just a virus this go around. Poor little tyke. Something is upsetting him so I guess we'll just wait and see if the virus will run it's course.

I've tried cutting dairy for 2 months and we didn't seem to have great success with it. But.....I didn't cut dairy all the way. Just the big offenders. I might have to do the big deal and read all ingredients, etc. We had to do that for my oldest (it was a pain), but it was so worth it to see my boy happy again. I just haven't been completely convinced it was a food thing yet. But since it won't go away completely I guess I will keep searching for answers.

Also, there has been no real consistency with any of it. It started out being within an hour of a meal, but lately it's mostly at night an hour or so after he falls asleep.

I'll wait and see if this is a virus. If a couple weeks roll around and we still have problems I'll get him back into his ped. And if I hear the same thing again I'll get a second opinion. I've really liked my pediatrician up to this point and he hasn't steered me wrong yet, so I want to believe him.

[kandjmomma]

I think that sounds like a good plan. I hope he feels better.

[Lizzy]

Just curious. Did it start happening before or after you guys moved? Could it be something environmental?

With the bug though, it's been hitting J off and on for the past month or so. He's fine and dandy and then BOOM!! Poop explosion! Then he's great again. They say 3 mo on probiotics to really get back on track.

[Molly]

It started happening a few weeks after we moved. I thought of that, too, but I have no clue what it could be. If it doesn't stop soon I'm gonna lose my mind. It's so sporadic. Just as soon as you start to think he's getting better....bam! Another explosion. He's been fine since yesterday afternoon and then tonight he's having major issues again. But he's acting fine. Running around, playing, normal. Just tummy issues. I dunno. My house stinks. Really stinks. The smell is everywhere. lol

[Laura]

My first thought was celiac disease. And I think if this is something that's been going on since September, it's most definitely worth a referral to a GI doc.

[Lizzy]

My first inclination on the environmental thought would be mold. Pretty common one. The other thought would possibly be radon? (EDIT - I just checked, no wouldn't be that but perhaps another gas?
Just trying to help brainstorm.

[Lizzy]

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[Molly]

Throwing up again this morning. Could eggs be the culprit? Maybe just a coincidence? Maybe he just gagged? He threw up, and started eating again right away and got down and is playing happily. There is no way this is a virus.

Also, he's had this junky cough, but only at night, for the past week. Any relation? Or just a touch of a cold also? Maybe the excess mucus is causing an upset stomach?

Just trying to brainstorm out loud a bit. I called the pediatrician this morning and left a message. I'm hoping a nurse might have some insight for me this morning.

[Lizzy]

F had MAJOR tummy issues with mucus. For like the first 2 years it was horrid. (shotglass of Coke story) Apparently it runs in the family as many on my side have had similar issues. She's by far my worst with tummy issues. (health in general) But she didn't really throw up so much when not sick. (unless you count carsick)

[Molly]

I've got an appt at 11:30 today with a different doctor. We'll see what they have to say. The nurse didn't think it sounded like a normal thing....so....I dunno!

[kandjmomma]

Good luck! I hope they point you in the right direction.

[Lizzy]

I'll be interested to hear what they have to say. I agree, it doesn't sound normal, but I wouldn't have a clue as to what the actual issue might be.

[Molly]

This doc did not think that all is normal. She says it sounds mostly like food allergies or at the least a food sensitivity. She said if that's not it (she referred me to an allergist) then we'll have to dig further. In the meantime we are supposed to keep a very detailed food diary of everything he eats/drinks and how much and what his diapers are and when he vomits. So, here we go!

[kandjmomma]

Glad you are going to see an allergist I hope they can tell you what is going on.

[Lizzy]

What a PITA!! I remember having to do most of that and it's pretty time consuming!! Diet apps could be your friend on the food front though.
Hoping it's minor, and just a couple of small things that won't be to life altering to avoid.

[Emily]

:bighug I hope you guys get answers soon!

[Zoe's Mom]

:goodluck :bighug

[BeckMom]

Sounds like a good appointment! Hope it's something simple and not something that will be really traumatic on G to eliminate.