Stomach acid works to break down food before it goes into the intestines. It also protects the body from some microorganisms that cause illness. Before you give your child an antacid because she is vomiting, figure out when it is safe to do so. While antacids can be safe if given in the right dosage and for the right kinds of digestive conditions, they can be dangerous if they are given for some medical conditions.
How Antacids Work
When you give your child an antacid, the medication relieves acid indigestion by neutralizing excess stomach acid. The antacid also reduces heartburn and sour stomach. If you gave a medication with simethicone to your child, he may get relief from excess gassiness.
Because these medications are available over-the-counter, the perception is that they are harmless. Because antacids alter the way your child's stomach processes food, they can cause side effects. If your child is vomiting, call your doctor and get his advice before giving your child any antacid. Stomach acid is a necessary component of your child's digestive process -- interfering with its work removes necessary protections.
Pediatric Precautions
Check with your child's doctor before you give her any antacids for upset stomach and vomiting. If she is 6 or younger, the doctor should examine her first so he can decide if an antacid is an appropriate form of treatment for her illness. If she has another condition, an antacid could made her condition worse, states the Drugs.com website.
Certain antacids contain magnesium or aluminum, which can harm very young or premature babies. In dehydrated children or children suffering from a kidney condition, these particular antacids can cause potentially serious side effects.
General Precautions
Giving an antacid to your child if his symptoms resemble appendicitis can make his illness worse. If your child's vomiting could be caused by an intestinal blockage, you will not know this until diagnostic testing is completed -- if this diagnosis is a possibility, giving him an antacid to relieve vomiting can make his condition worse. If your child has these symptoms: nausea, vomiting, stomach/lower abdominal pain or soreness, he should not take an antacid -- these are signs of an inflamed bowel or appendicitis, says the Drugs.com website.
Antacid Benefits
If your child is an infant diagnosed with gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), antacids help reduce the excess acidity of her stomach contents. In GERD, the stomach contents back up into her esophagus, causing heartburn, pain and, possibly, vomiting. If she has been diagnosed with esophagitis, which causes inflammation of her esophagus, she experiences a high level of discomfort when her stomach acid goes back up into her esophagus. Her symptoms can include a failure to thrive -- gain weight -- or she loses weight and has difficulty feeding. When your doctor gives a diagnosis of esophagitis, an antacid can be beneficial in treating her symptoms, especially if she begins to suffer from an ulcerated esophagus, writes registered nurse Rowena Bennett on the BabyCareAdvice website.
