Gastroenteritis

You can look after your child at home if they have diarrhoea and vomiting. There's not usually any specific treatment and your child should start feeling better in a few days.

You don't normally need to get medical advice unless their symptoms don't improve or there's a risk of a more serious problem (see Getting medical advice for your child ).

To help ease your child'ssymptoms:

• Encourage them to drink plenty of fluids .They need to replace the fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea. Water is generally best. Avoid giving them fizzy drinks or fruit juice, as they can make their diarrhoea worse. Babies should continue to feed as usual, either with breast milk or other milk feeds.
• Make sure they get plenty of rest .
• Let your child eat if they're eating solids and feel hungry. Try small amounts of plain foods, such as soup, rice, pasta and bread.
• Give them paracetamol if they have an uncomfortablefever or aches and pains. Young children may find liquid paracetamol easier to swallow than tablets.
• Use special rehydration drinks made from sachets bought from pharmacies if they're dehydrated. Your GP or pharmacist can advise on how much to give your child. Don't give them antidiarrhoeal and anti-vomiting medication, unless advised to by your GP or pharmacist.

Babies and young children, especially if they're less than a year old, have a greater risk of becoming dehydrated. Read advice about looking after babies and children under five who have diarrhoea and vomiting .

Make sure you and your child wash your hands regularly while your child is ill and keep themaway from school or nursery until at least 48 hours after their symptoms have cleared (see Preventing gastroenteritis ).