Ultimate Guide to Kid Vomit: Causes and Treatment
From what causes kids to vomit to how to make clean-up a little less awful, here is everything you need to know about dealing with puke.
Updated Jan 16, 2025
Barf. Puke. Vomit. Call it what you will, but rest assured that as a parent, you’ll encounter kid vomit—and it won’t be fun.
Even the most seasoned, BTDT parents can find themselves fully frazzled when their kid starts throwing up. But the fact is, kid vomit happens. And when it does, you may have some questions. Here are the answers:
01What can cause a child to vomit?
Here are some of the most common reasons kids throw up:
- Viral gastroenteritis, also known as “stomach flu,” is the most common culprit. This infection can last anywhere from a couple of days to more than a week.
- COVID-19. Some variants more than others, but COVID has been known to cause vomiting, especially in children.
- Motion sickness is a common reason for vomiting. About 50 percent of kids sometimes feel sick to their stomachs while moving in cars or planes, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Food poisoning. The symptoms mimic viral gastroenteritis, and begin anywhere from a few hours to a few days after eating contaminated food.
- Some kids are just a bit barfy by nature. They throw up when they cough, cry or get too excited, or if they see something that turns their stomach, if they eat or drink too much, or run around after eating, and so on.
- Some long-term illnesses or digestive issues, such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease, can cause chronic vomiting, off and on for months at a time.
- Vomiting can be caused by other kinds of infections, some of which can be quite serious. If your child is vomiting repeatedly and has other symptoms such as fever, lethargy or abdominal pain (or other pain), call the doctor.
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