Getting Sick LO to Drink

[Starry Night]

My son is about 19 months old and seems to be struggling with a stomach bug. He's had a bad chest cold/virus for over a week now. Took him to the doctor last week so things seemed OK relatively speaking. But then his poops started to get softer and softer and he started to refuse almost every food (and he normally eats everything). We thought the food refusal was a phase as he wasn't acting sick outside of coughing.

To make a long story short, he's been throwing up and having diarrhea the past 3 days so obviously I want to keep him hydrated. The only problem is he only wants to drink milk!! This makes him throw up and have diarrhea. I tried to give him water or watered-down sports drinks for the electrolytes but he absolutely refuses.

He's still acting very chipper and he no longer has a fever but I notice when he cries that there are hardly any tears. So I feel desperate. I've been trying syringing some water into him but that seems so traumatizing for him and it only gets 5mL in at a time.

Is there any other way to 'sneak' in liquids? He is eating applesauce right now...would that work? My mom suggested Jello...

Any other ideas? This is the first time my little man has had a stomach bug so I'm feeling a little scattered.

 

[Septie]

double post

 

[Septie]

Hmm, my post just got deleted.
So sorry hun...If there are hardly any tears he needs to be seen. Dehydration in little ones is very dangerous! If you are in the US, call your pediatrician's call service to see if you need to go to the ER, or if it can wait till morning. If in the UK, call NHS direct.

 

[tina3747]

Do you have a syringe?? When my LO was poorly refusing milk and water I got the syringe that was in the paracetamol box and used that every few minutes or so. It's in such small bits I'd be suprised it came back up like it would if he was gulping it down. I tried the innocent apple juice watered down, he loved it. Hope he's better soon xx

 

[kizzyt]

Try diaralyte for hydration and mix it with a little Ribena or something and just keep syringeing as much as you can. I'd avoid milk completely if I were you, good luck hope he's better soon x

 

[evewidow]

A few years ago a dr suggested to me ice lollies . Worked a treat , they think they are getting a treat too so keen to have them . Ice poles/freeze pops whatever you call them are great too .

 

[sweetlullaby]

Ice lollys, not sure on dhyriolite with children, a straw for drinks? I find my lo drinks a larger quantity if its a straw I'd also make a doctors appointment for asap as no tears is a sign of dehydration and los get dehydrated very quickly.

 

[Ceejay123]

Ice lollies, definitely! X

 

[MrsT2B]

Ice lollies, ribena cartons, anything he would normally see as a treat. When they are poorly it's more important to get fluid in then worry if its good stuff.
My LO had hand foot and mouth very bad and did t drink for over 30 hours, we were admitted to hospital as he was dehydrated.
I high recommend ribena and avoid milk xxxxx

 

[tommyg]

Any kind of juice.
Diroralite stinks and it put DS off drinking.

Twice I've landed at the Drs with DS dehydrated. First time they've had me give 5ml of diorralite every 5 mins.

The second time Doc gave me antibiotics, which he couldn't keep down and said only to give water but to come back if I hadn't had a wet nappy by 4pm. Went back was referred to hospital, hospital put him on a drip, and 5ml of diluting orange every 5 mins. Then we up to 5ml every 2 mins until he was happy drinking himself.

Hospital were annoyed the official advice is give water and said when LOs are ill give then juice to keep their suger levels up which also helps to stop them getting dehydrated.

 

[brownlieB]

Yes stay away from milk, it makes diahorreah worse. Jelly, Ice lollies, squash, you can get electrolyte replaceing fluids for children. Diorylite is ok it comes in a peadiatric dose

 

[Starry Night]

Thanks, everyone. DS is still poorly in that he is still throwing up and he had the squirts all afternoon. But that's because we thought he was better and gave him milk again. I have been able to get some more fluids into him and this morning he woke up with a very wet diaper.

I feel a little badly about it, but I have been forcing liquids into him and I've even been watering down his applesauces. Any signs of dehydration have gone.

I also like the popsicle idea. I have to buy some.

 

[Septie]

Thanks for the update!!!

 

[Starry Night]

It's tough to tell how sick he is at times because he stays as cheerful and silly and active as usual. I mean, a little bit of the edge is taken off but he seems normal so when he barfed again tonight it seemed so out of nowhere. He's back to water and applesauce and crackers. We even put him to bed early. He went down without a fuss so I guess that is a sign there.

I will call his doctor first thing next week if he's still vomiting by then because no way a bug should last that long.