Updated June 2026 · 90-second read + video
Most stomach bugs run their course in 2–3 days with small, frequent sips. The real worry isn't the vomiting itself — it's dehydration. Watch wet diapers, tears, and how alert your child is. Dry mouth, no tears, no urine in 8 hours, or a sleepy/floppy child means be seen.
The 90-second version
How I keep my own kids out of the ER when norovirus hits the house.
What to watch for
Vomiting and diarrhea aren't the danger — dehydration is.
Less than one wet diaper in 8 hours (or no urine in a toddler).
Tongue looks tacky, no tears when crying, sunken soft spot.
Hard to wake, floppy, or not responding like usual.
Every parent's instinct when the vomiting starts is to push fluids. I get it. I've been that panicked dad holding a cup of water. But the actual trick is counterintuitive: a teaspoon of Pedialyte every 5 minutes. It feels like you're doing nothing. It works.
The way I'd explain it over coffee. Tap any question.
Viruses — norovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus. They're spread by hand-to-mouth contact and survive on surfaces for days. Most are 24–72 hours and run their course on their own.
Kids are mostly water. They have a much smaller reservoir to lose from than adults, so vomiting and diarrhea pull them into dehydration faster — sometimes within hours, not days.
Plain water can dilute the salts they're losing; juice can make diarrhea worse. Oral rehydration solutions like Pedialyte are designed to replace both fluid and electrolytes in the right ratio.
Quick answers to what parents ask most.
Start with a teaspoon of Pedialyte every 5 minutes for the first hour. If that stays down, increase slowly. The volume sounds laughably small — that's the point.
Don't restrict food. Once vomiting stops, let them eat anything they'll tolerate — including normal foods. Strict BRAT diets aren't recommended anymore.
For kids over 6 months with persistent vomiting, ondansetron (Zofran) can help — your pediatrician or the ER can prescribe it. Don't use adult anti-diarrheal meds.
Blood in vomit or stool, severe belly pain, high fever lasting more than a couple days, or signs of dehydration despite trying small sips — get them seen.
Rehydration plan
Warning signs
Keep it on your phone
The whole guide, pocket-sized. Save it to your phone and send it to your partner, your parents, whoever's watching the baby tonight.
Parent-friendly places to go deeper.
Questions
Have a question about this topic? I read every one and answer as many as I can, sometimes right here, sometimes in a video.
Questions and answers are for general education only and do not create a doctor-patient relationship. For medical advice specific to your child, always consult your pediatrician.
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