2 Year Old Throws up Bile

Updated on June 28, 2014
T.G. asks from La Conner, WA
13 answers

My daughter is two, and about once a month (maybe slightly less often) she throws up bright yellow bile in the morning. She throws up and feels sick for an hour or two and then is fine the rest of the day. This has happened about four times now. This morning she threw up twice and was not feeling well a little longer than the last times. But I gave her some water and some crackers and now she seems absolutely fine. I have no idea why this is happening. Anyone else experience this or have any ideas as to what may be happening with her?

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R.A.

answers from Providence on

My son had that issue. It's reflux. If their is nothing in the stomach, children often will throw up bile if they feel sick.

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L.S.

answers from San Diego on

Sounds like acid reflux. It sounds like from laying down all night that the acid builds up and then when she wakes up, feels sick. Acid reflux is fairly common. I would visit your pediatrician as they might do an upper gi series to determine if she has reflux. I wouldn't let it go though, since it hasn't gone away.

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L.P.

answers from Pittsfield on

Not sure what it could be- maybe she has problems w/ acid that upset her stomach? I have no real medical background, but I would take her to see her Pedi since this has become a fairly regular thing- you may even want to consider a pediatric gastroenterologist if the Pedi has no answers for you.
Hope you get some answers soon!!! :)

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J.W.

answers from Huntsville on

My daughter is 5 and we are having the same issue, it was maybe every 1.5 or 2 months, and after monitoring dates more closely as of late (this morning it happened again) - it was about 1 month apart. The only difference in your description and our experience is my daughter's vomit is clear most of the time. After reading below, I am going to call the Pediatrician. Did you ever get an answer?

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E.M.

answers from Bakersfield on

Hi Momma-
That really is curious. I think if it has been happening regularly, you might want to take her to the pediatrician. The funny thing about our bodies is that they react to everytihng around us. Is her throwing up coinciding with any event, such as a hormonal change for your monthly cycle or a schedule change in your daily activities that happens only once a month? Is there anyone that visits you once a month? It could anything from her little tummy deciding that she has to poop to a reaction (because we all emit electricity and chemicals as a part of our human dna--that's why when someone is cranky and they walk in it brings down your mood!) to something very slight--even a change in the weather or air pressure where you live. Start checking these little things, what you feed her, what's happening around her- just be super aware. And also take her to the doctor.
That really is curious, and who knows- it may be nothing other than a little upset tummy here and there. But better to have it checked and be nothing.
Good luck!

Updated

Hi Momma-
That really is curious. I think if it has been happening regularly, you might want to take her to the pediatrician. The funny thing about our bodies is that they react to everytihng around us. Is her throwing up coinciding with any event, such as a hormonal change for your monthly cycle or a schedule change in your daily activities that happens only once a month? Is there anyone that visits you once a month? It could anything from her little tummy deciding that she has to poop to a reaction (because we all emit electricity and chemicals as a part of our human dna--that's why when someone is cranky and they walk in it brings down your mood!) to something very slight--even a change in the weather or air pressure where you live. Start checking these little things, what you feed her, what's happening around her- just be super aware. And also take her to the doctor.
That really is curious, and who knows- it may be nothing other than a little upset tummy here and there. But better to have it checked and be nothing.
Good luck!

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J.D.

answers from Cincinnati on

Did you ever get a professional medical opinion on this? My son has done this 3 weeks in a row now and we are baffled. The first 2 weeks the doctor said its probably just a bug but we are not convinced. It happens at the same time every week, which adds to the strangeness. Early Sunday morning he wakes up coughing and ends up throwing up bile. He usually has 3-5 episodes and then he is fine. Any insight is appreciated.

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A.V.

answers from Eugene on

Does any of you have any updates after seeing the doctor. My 5 year old daughter has the same issue. Throwing up white/slight yellow bile in the morning, 3-4 times and it goes away in couple of hours. I took her to the doctor, he said continue watching and if it doesn't goes away he recommended seeing a specialist. Thanks.

E.S.

answers from Dayton on

Oh my goodness! My 5yo. has the exact same problem!
I haven't taken her in cause I know my ped. well enough to know her reaction.
I will be super curious to see the info you get.

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M.M.

answers from Seattle on

In my humble opinion I would get him in to see a doctor or a stomach dr especially right away. Its always best to be safe and get things checked. I hope your little lady is feeling much better soon.
My daughter had some vomiting issues when she was one and it turned out she had allergies. But she didnt vomit bile, just undigested food. She also had diarreah constantly. So it doesnt really sound like an allergy.
God bless!
M.

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J.B.

answers from Seattle on

Hi, T. -

Hopefully it's just a passing "thing" . . . however, having said that, I have to share a possible scenario that should be checked by a doctor. My son's little friend had a similar thing going on about 2 years ago at the age of 5, doing this once/week. It started to get a little worse after a couple of months, so mom his mom finally decided it was time to go see the dr. Turned out to be the best thing she could do - he has a rare kidney condition that almost cost him his life, and while he is doing great now, he has nightly dialysis until he is clear for a kidney transplant . . . I certainly hope this is not the case for your daughter, but I wouldn't want you to go with an undetected kidney or other organ issue. It is NOT normal to throw up bile, and is telling you something is wrong. One thing my friend's son's mom didn't notice until the nurse was checking him in was that the whites of his eyes were slightly yellowed, as was his skin; this is what got the nurse on the ball and decided to do a complete blood panel to rule out kidney problems.

I don't want to scare you, and hopefully this is not the case for your daughter; I just read your e-mail and can't help but think of my friend's son and the scary couple of years their family has been through, and I wouldn't want for you to wait until it was dire.

Please keep us posted on how she is doing! I wish you the best.

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

She's been doing this for four months? It's four months beyond the time for her to see the doctor. See the post about the kid for whom this type of vomiting was a sign of a serious kidney disease. Your child could have simple reflux or something grave -- you cannot know, and neither can we. Please call your pediatrician ASAP.

Often on Mamasource I read "I don't want to call the pediatrician in case it's nothing; I don't want to look like a mom who makes a big deal out of nothing." But you and we can't diagnose a child; we're not doctors. Better to go, and find out it's nothing, than to wait, and find out it was something that could have been treated over the past four months.

J.S.

answers from Hartford on

Get your pediatrician to refer you to a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. It could be any of a number of things including acid reflux but that would be the best sort of doctor to figure it out.

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S.C.

answers from Portland on

All 3 of my kids have that problem when they don't eat enough at dinner. They wake up not feeling well, throw up some bile, or if they try to eat anything, they throw that up. It usually takes til about lunch time before they are normal again. So now, if I see that they are not eating their dinner for whatever reason (late lunch, they don't like it) I make sure that they have a half a peanut butter sandwich before they go to bed and I don't ignore them when they say they are hungry at night. (It doesn't happen often.) I hope its that simple for you too.

Good luck!

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