3 Year Old Vomiting After Swimming

This sounds more serious than just drinking pool water. He could have sun poisoning or maybe he has caught the flu. I don't think drinking pool water can make someone that sick. Good luck, I hope he feels better.

Sally:

This doesn't sound like drinking pool water. It sounds like he caught a bug. If he's lethargic - are you sure he did NOT hit his head? Sorry - but lethargy and vomiting are signs of a concussion. Check his pupils - are they equal? or are they HUGE? If they are unusually huge - please take him to the Urgent Care telling them EXACTLY what you told us and then about his eyes.

If his pupils are fine? Then he sounds like he has a virus or bug. Have him suck on fruit flavored Popsicles to keep him hydrated.

i truly hope it's JUST a bug!! Keep us informed, please!!

GOOD LUCK!!

Drinking pool water will probably only cause vomiting if the child is gagging on it (my oldest will vomit any time he accidentally gets a gulp of pool water.)

I also think it could be sun poisoning. I got sick with very similar symptoms when I was in the California sun for too long. I was extremely lethargic and felt just awful and went right to sleep. The next morning I was fine again.

Your son sounds to be sick with a stomach bug.
It was going around in my city, among kids and adults like last month.

Keep him hydrated, if he can. LITTLE amounts of clear fluid, every so often. I'm talking, a tablespoon of liquid.
Or have him suck on a poscicle or something.
Lethargy... can be due to the illness or dehydration.
Make sure you know the symptoms of dehydration.... look online.

Call the Doc, if he gets worse. Docs are on call, anytime, any hour.

Let him rest.

My son had that.

It sounds like he has a virus. Pool water will not make you throw up.

Sounds more like sun poisoning/ heat sickness than a pool water issue. Either that or a little intestinal bug (which I guess COULD be related to the pool if it wasn't chlorinated enough)

At this point he's probably dehydrated as well. See if you can get him to take tiny sips of fluid... or a popcicle.

If you can't get him to keep water down, give the doctor a call... unfortunately these things can go from bad to worse pretty quickly especially for our little ones who aren't quite old enough to explain exactly how badly they're feeling.

Sally, it may have nothing to do with the swimming. He may have a tummy bug that has nothing to do with the pool. (In other words, he may have come down with it even if he hadn't gone swimming.)

Little kids' bugs come on fast and furious. Treat it like any tummy bug - let him rest. Check his temp every hour, and in about two hours, give him an ounce of water to sip. If he can keep it down, in another 15 minutes give him another ounce to sip.

Pedialyte makes frozen pops. That has electrolytes in it, as does Gatorade. If he doesn't take fluids, if he gets a high fever, if he is listless and you can't get it "controlled" (very subjective term, I know), take him to the ER.

Good luck!
Dawn

My younger son threw up in the hot tub at the Y once when he was two (super embarrassing because they have to shut it down due to fouling). I suspect it was from drinking the pool water, but he only threw up the one time and seemed fine afterwards. (I think he just overfilled his belly with the pool water, and needed to empty it.) Could he have heat stroke?

My son had this bug this past winter. Have him drink some pedialite or something-about 1-2 teaspoons every 10 minutes for about 1 hour, then increase slightly for the next hour. Start over if he throws up again but wait 1/2 hour first. As long as he is peeing, you know he isnt dehydrated.

How is he doing now? Was he underwater for any length of time? Was there any point when he coughed up a lot of pool water? There's something called dry drowning. I don't see vomiting as one of the symptoms but here are some of the others:

Persistent Coughing:

All children react to unintended swallowing of water by coughing, sometimes crying, and eye rubbing. The thing parents should watch for is coughing which is persistent and continues for an extended period or often long after the water has been ingested. If this coughing continues for as much as 20-30 minutes it may well be an indication of water aspiration into the lungs. Parents should be especially concerned if the child has any of the risk factors above.

Shortness of Breath:

Difficulty in breathing which continues even after the child is no longer swimming (perhaps even on the way home) is a strong indication of water in the lungs and a symptom of the beginning of dry drowning.

Pain in the Chest:

Children complaining of chest pain is very unusual. It is a strong indicator of ingested water and possible aspiration into the lungs. Be aware this is another symptom of dry drowning. Any other complaint of pain following water ingestion is a warning sign and is another symptom of dry drowning.

Confusion:

If the child demonstrates confusion, has trouble understanding verbal instructions or has difficulty verbalizing his/her own thoughts following accidental water intake he/she is demonstrating another symptom of drowning.

Lethargy:

A sudden lack of energy or demonstration of extreme tiredness is a significant symptom. This is especially meaningful when seen in a normally active child.

Doctors suggest that when accidental water ingestion occurs that parent first consider whether their child has any of the high risks (above) for dry drowning. They should then keep their child nearby and observe intently, whether any of the above symptoms are demonstrated. If they are the child should be taken to a doctor or emergency room.

My bet is on an intestinal virus because that's exactly what it sounds like. That's why he would be lethargic and vomiting. Swallowing pool water wouldn't do that to him that long after drinking it, if at all. Even if the pool had just been shocked, and he swallowed the water, it shouldn't make him vomit. It might make the eyes sting a bit but not vomit unless he's really, really allergic to the pool chemicals... which would probably also react on his skin.

I would try to keep him as hydrated as you can, giving him small sips no more than a couple of ounces of either water or Pedialyte every hour, and ONLY if he can hold it down. If all he can handle is enough liquid to wet his mouth, then that's enough.

If it won't stay down at all then don't force him to drink or eat anything. That's a sign that his body can't handle anything right now and he'll get more dehydrated than he already is. Let him sleep, because his body needs that more. After he stops gagging and throwing up for at least a few hours then I'd try offering small sips again and a Saltine cracker. Wait an hour. Do it again if he holds it down and let him have a little more fluid. Wait an hour. Same thing.

Listen to your instincts, though. Call the pediatrician if you're worried.

When my son was that age, a warm bath would sometimes help relax his stomach.
The very small sips of water - a mouthful - and if it stayed down for 20-30 min, then a little more.
Take it slow.
Once water can stay down, have him sip more frequently.
He may not feel like eating for awhile, and that's ok, as long as you can keep him hydrated.

I also thought of dry drowning as BVic mentioned, and sun poisoning or heat sickness. Call your local ER and ask to speak to a triage nurse, I'm guessing they will advise keeping him hydrated, and if that isn't possible to take him in. Hope he feels better soon!

it looks like stomach virus.. may be from the water..but, probably not... My son had two times.. can't drink and eat at all. can only give him some ice to make his mouth wet a little bit... or tablespoon of liquid but very slowly. It lasted for 1 day for my son. If still not getting better, go to doctor's.