About nausea
Nausea is the feeling that you’re going to vomit.
Your child might get nausea if they:
- are sick – for example, if they have gastro, food poisoning or a cold
- are taking certain medicines
- have food intolerances
- have motion sickness.
Symptoms of nausea
Older children and teenagers will probably tell you that they feel sick or feel like they’re going to vomit.
Younger children might not be able to tell you that they feel like vomiting, but they might lose colour in their face or look unwell. They also might seem quieter than usual or not want to eat.
Sometimes nausea happens by itself, and sometimes your child might actually vomit.
For some children, the feeling that you’re going to vomit can be distressing. It’s important to comfort and reassure your child when they’re feeling nauseous.
Medical help: when to get it for children and teenagers with nausea
You should see your GP if your child’s nausea lasts for more than 24 hours or your child has nausea plus any of the following symptoms:
- vomiting a lot or often
- recent head trauma
- stomach pain or bloating
- headache.
Take your child to a hospital emergency department or call 000 for an ambulance straight away if your child has nausea plus any of the following symptoms:
- stiff neck
- difficulty breathing or swelling around the face or mouth
- blurred vision
- confusion and drowsiness.
If your child has nausea and you’re worried that they’re very unwell, see your GP or go to a hospital emergency department.
Nausea treatment
If your child has nausea, it’s good if you can work out what’s causing it and treat this underlying cause. But there’s often no obvious cause, and the nausea goes away by itself.
It’s usually best to treat nausea with very simple measures.
For example, for nausea that’s linked to gastro, encourage your child to have plenty of small drinks of water or oral rehydration fluid, as well as bland foods like dry crackers, bread, rice, potato or jelly. Older children with nausea can try sucking on a sugary lolly like barley sugar. This can be soothing and distracting.
If your child’s nausea is being caused by a food intolerance, your doctor might recommend that your child limits or avoids certain foods. It’s always best to talk with your GP or a dietitian about big changes to your child’s diet.
If your child’s nausea is being caused by motion sickness, they can try:
- looking at the road ahead or at the horizon
- keeping their head still
- not reading or using devices
- opening a window and getting some fresh air.
If your child is in hospital for medical treatments or surgery, they might have nausea. They might get anti-nausea medicines to help with this.
For longer-term nausea, your doctor might suggest something to distract your child, like music or art therapy.
It can be a good idea to keep a bucket nearby in case your child vomits.