Stomach flu, or gastroenteritis, occurs when your infant’s digestive tract becomes inflamed. This condition can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, fever and chills. If the stomach flu is accompanied by a cough, you need to take further steps to care for your infant. Always speak to your baby’s physician first to ensure that she doesn’t require immediate medical attention.
Causes
Because your infant is not able to verbalize symptoms or pains well, it can be difficult to determine if she has the stomach flu or another stomach-related illness, such as food poisoning or an intestinal obstruction. While symptoms may be similar, the stomach flu is characterized by vomiting, high fever and stomach pain that seems to occur very quickly and lasts anywhere from 12 to 72 hours, according to Ask Dr. Sears. Your infant also may experience diarrhea after the first or second day. This condition is different from food poisoning because food poisoning does not typically cause fever.




