Nobody likes to hear a child say, "I don’t feel very well” with a green face or “I’m going to puke!” Nausea is a very uncomfortable feeling that no one enjoys, so why does it happen? It's just the body's way of telling your brain that you might vomit or throw up, and vomiting is your body forcefully spitting out of whatever is in your stomach.
What Can Cause Nausea?
There are many different causes of nausea. The causes of new nausea that comes out of nowhere are different from nausea that won’t go away after a long time. Since new, out-of-nowhere nausea is very common in kids, we will focus on its most common causes.
There's something upsetting the belly itself, like:
Stomach bugs – usually viruses that spread easily between people and cause vomiting and diarrhea, lasting a few days, but sometimes up to 2 weeks.
Food poisoning – a bacteria, virus, or toxin made by bacteria that is found in food that has gone bad or hasn’t been washed or cooked enough Food poisoning also often causes diarrhea and usually lasts for just a day or two.
Medication reactions – some medications have side effects including nausea, like certain antibiotics.
Too much food – overeating can cause nausea for a few hours.
The whole body doesn’t feel great because of:
Other illnesses – viruses or bacteria that make the whole body sick can also make the stomach feel sick, like the flu (or influenza), COVID, strep throat, or a urinary tract infection (UTI)
Motion sickness – this inner ear problem that some people experience with certain movements can cause nausea.
Stress or big reactions – when big, stressful things happen, the body reacts in odd ways including nausea.
There are many more causes of nausea, and nausea that lasts for a long time (more than a week or so), can be caused by many other things like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), brain problems (concussions, migraines), and more. If your child’s nausea isn’t going away after 1-2 weeks you should talk to a pediatrician.
What Can Parents Do?
Create a peaceful environment – stress only makes things worse, so ensure that you are calm so you can help calm your child down.
Offer small sips of clear liquids – water, electrolyte replacement drinks, sports drinks, and popsicles are all great ways to help someone stay hydrated, especially if they do start vomiting.
Avoid solid foods until their bellies have calmed down – solid foods, unless they are nice and bland (crackers, bananas), can make an already angry stomach angrier.
Give it time - Most causes of nausea go away on their own after a few days. Just make sure to keep your child well hydrated during that time.
Talk to your pediatrician before using any over the counter or prescription medications. Many anti-nausea medications have side effects, especially in kids.
If your child is nauseous for a long period of time (1-2 weeks) without a clear cause, you are worried that your child is becoming dehydrated (being “dried out”, or you have any other concerns, call your pediatrician.
Lauren Gramlich, MS, RN, CPNP, is a pediatric nurse practitioner with the School Based Asthma Therapy Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She received her undergraduate and Master of Science in Nursing from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining the asthma team, Lauren worked in primary care for 12 years.
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