Diarrhoea and gastroenteritis in children (Acute gastroenteritis in children)

What is gastroenteritis in children?

Gastroenteritis is a tummy bug that inflames the stomach and bowel, causing diarrhoea (runny or watery poo) and often vomiting. In children it is usually caused by a virus such as rotavirus or norovirus, and sometimes by bacteria or, less often, a parasite. It spreads easily from person to person and through contaminated food or water.

Most children with a tummy bug can be looked after safely at home. The illness clears up on its own, and the main job for parents is to keep their child drinking so they do not become dehydrated. Antibiotics are usually not needed and do not help a viral tummy bug.

The most important thing this guide cannot do is replace your own judgement about how your child looks. A child who is drinking, weeing and reasonably alert between episodes is usually doing fine; a child who is becoming drowsy, floppy, or stopping weeing needs to be seen. The warning signs below matter more than the number of times they have been sick.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Options at a glance

These are the main approaches described in this guide. The right option depends on the diagnosis, your goals and what your clinician thinks is safe.

Preparing for your treatment

• Have an oral rehydration solution (ORS) from the pharmacy ready at home, especially for younger children or those already a bit dry.
• Keep a simple note of when your child last had a wet nappy or weed, and how often they are being sick or having diarrhoea.
• Know your child's usual weight if you can — a clinician may want to compare it.
• Save your GP surgery and NHS 111 numbers (NHS 111 covers England, Scotland and Wales; in Northern Ireland, save your GP out-of-hours or HSC Trust Phone First number instead), and know where your nearest urgent care or A&E is.
• Keep paracetamol or ibuprofen at home for fever or discomfort, and check the dose for your child's age and weight.
• Have a thermometer, plenty of fluids, and clean towels and bin bags ready for accidents.
• Wash hands well and keep a sick child away from food preparation to stop the bug spreading.

What happens

If you contact NHS 111 (or, in Northern Ireland, your GP out-of-hours or HSC Trust Phone First service), a GP or a private paediatric service, they will usually ask how your child is drinking and weeing, how many times they have been sick or had diarrhoea, whether there is blood in the poo, and how alert they seem between episodes. They are mainly trying to judge how dehydrated your child is and whether anything points to a cause other than a simple viral bug.

If your child is seen in person, a clinician will check how alert they are, look at their eyes, mouth, skin and (in babies) the soft spot on the head, feel the tummy, and often weigh them. They may check the temperature and capillary refill (how quickly colour returns when a fingertip is pressed).

Most children need no tests at all. A stool sample may be requested if there is blood in the poo, a high fever, recent travel abroad, or diarrhoea that goes on for longer than expected. A child who is significantly dehydrated may be offered rehydration in hospital, sometimes through a tube into the stomach or a drip into a vein.

Is this treatment right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

The biggest risk is dehydration, and the youngest children become dehydrated fastest, so babies under one — and especially under six months — need closer watching. Be cautious if your child has another health condition, was born prematurely, or cannot keep any fluid down at all. Green vomit, blood in the poo, a swollen or very painful tummy, or pain that stays in one spot are signals that this may not be a simple tummy bug, and should be checked.

Published figures to discuss

Most childhood gastroenteritis is mild and self-limiting, but the chance of complications depends heavily on the child's age, how much fluid they are losing and any underlying health problems. Babies and children under one — especially under six months — dehydrate fastest. Reliable single percentages for dehydration or hospital admission are hard to quote because they vary so much by setting, age and cause, so this guide uses cautious, qualitative wording rather than invented figures.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

There is no physical procedure to recover from — recovery means getting your child rehydrated and back to normal eating and energy. Most children turn the corner within a few days, though loose poo can linger for up to a week or so.

• A poor appetite and low energy for a few days.
• Loose or watery poo continuing for several days after the vomiting has stopped.
• A mild fever in the first day or two.
• Tummy gurgling and occasional cramps.
• A sore bottom from frequent diarrhoea, which barrier cream can help.

Aftercare

• Keep offering small, frequent drinks even once your child seems better, to stay ahead of dehydration.
• Use an oral rehydration solution rather than relying on water alone if there is a lot of diarrhoea.
• Do not give anti-diarrhoea medicines (such as loperamide) to children under 12, and do not give aspirin to under-16s.
• Let your child eat normally when they are ready; avoid sugary, fizzy drinks and undiluted juice.
• Use a barrier cream to protect sore skin around the bottom.
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after nappy changes and before food, and clean toilets and surfaces.
• Keep your child off nursery or school, and out of swimming pools, until 48 hours after the last episode.
• Know who to contact and watch for the warning signs if your child gets worse.

• Oral rehydration sachets in the cupboard
• Paracetamol or ibuprofen suitable for your child's age
• A thermometer that works
• NHS 111 and GP numbers saved (in Northern Ireland, GP out-of-hours or HSC Trust Phone First instead of 111)
• Barrier cream for nappy rash
• A plan for who can stay home for the 48-hour exclusion period
• A note of when your child last weed or had a wet nappy

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Your child is very drowsy, floppy, hard to wake or unusually confused — call 999.
• A rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it, a stiff neck, or dislike of bright light — call 999.
• Fast breathing, breathing that looks like hard work, or going blue around the lips — call 999.
• Pale, mottled skin that feels abnormally cold to touch — call 999.
• Signs of dehydration: very few wet nappies or much less wee than usual, a dry mouth and tongue, no tears when crying, sunken eyes, or a sunken soft spot on a baby's head — get urgent advice from a GP or NHS 111 (in Northern Ireland, your GP out-of-hours or HSC Trust Phone First service).
• Green vomit, blood in the vomit or poo, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds — seek urgent help.
• Tummy pain that does not go away or stays in one place, or a swollen tummy — get medical advice.
• Your child cannot keep any fluid down at all, or a baby under three months has a temperature of 38°C or higher.

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good recovery means your child is drinking, weeing normally, has more energy and is back to eating. The vomiting usually stops first, within a day or two, while loose poo can take up to a week to fully settle. Reaching this point at home, without dehydration, is exactly the outcome you are aiming for.

Getting better from one tummy bug does not stop your child catching another, and it does not mean any future illness with diarrhoea is also harmless. Each new illness should be judged on its own, using the same warning signs.

Recovery from a tummy bug is complete in most children, with no lasting effects. Some children have looser poo for a week or two afterwards while the gut recovers, occasionally from temporary lactose intolerance, which then settles. Immunity to one virus does not protect against the others, so children — especially those at nursery — can have several tummy bugs in a year.

Follow-up & long-term care

Most tummy bugs need no follow-up once your child is better. See your GP if diarrhoea lasts longer than a week, keeps coming back, or if your child is losing weight, as a stool test or further assessment may be needed. If your child was unwell enough to need hospital rehydration, the hospital team will advise on any review.

• Rotavirus vaccination is offered to babies in the UK and reduces severe rotavirus diarrhoea — check your child is up to date.
• Good hand hygiene, especially after the toilet and before food, is the best way to prevent tummy bugs.
• Keep an oral rehydration solution at home so you are ready next time.
• Follow food hygiene basics and be careful with food and water when travelling abroad.

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• Some children need to be reassessed if symptoms persist beyond a week or come back after seeming to settle.
• A stool sample may be repeated or sent for further testing if the first result is unclear or diarrhoea continues.
• Occasionally an initial diagnosis of a tummy bug is revised if another cause (such as appendicitis or a urine infection) becomes apparent.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• Clear, written advice on how much fluid to give and how to recognise dehydration.
• A named route for urgent advice if your child gets worse, including out of hours.
• A safety net explaining exactly when to call NHS 111 (or, in Northern Ireland, GP out-of-hours or HSC Trust Phone First), see a GP, or go to A&E.
• Sensible advice on returning to nursery or school and on stopping the bug spreading at home.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• Whether you use NHS services and your GP (no charge) — NHS 111 in England, Scotland and Wales, or GP out-of-hours or HSC Trust Phone First in Northern Ireland — or choose a private GP or paediatric appointment.
• Whether the appointment is in person, by video or at home, and the time of day.
• Whether a stool test or other investigation is arranged, and the laboratory fee.
• Whether a follow-up appointment is needed for diarrhoea that does not settle.
• Any prescribed treatments, such as oral rehydration solution or, rarely, specific medicines.

• The consultation fee and how long the appointment lasts.
• Whether any tests (such as a stool sample) are included or charged separately, and the lab fee.
• What is included if your child needs to be seen again because they have not improved.
• How to get urgent advice out of hours, and what happens if your child needs to go to hospital.
• The cost of any prescribed medicines or rehydration products.
• The cancellation policy.

On the NHS? Care and advice for childhood gastroenteritis are widely available on the NHS through GP and urgent care services, and through NHS 111 in England, Scotland and Wales (in Northern Ireland, urgent non-emergency advice comes from GP out-of-hours or your HSC Trust's Phone First service rather than 111); private GP or paediatric review may be used for reassurance, convenience or a second opinion.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.

• Does my child show any signs of dehydration right now, and what exactly should I watch for at home?
• How much and how often should my child be drinking, and should I use an oral rehydration solution?
• Are there any features here that suggest this is not a simple viral tummy bug?
• Does my child need a stool sample, given the blood in the poo / recent travel / how long this has lasted?
• At what point should I come back, call NHS 111 (or, in Northern Ireland, the GP out-of-hours or Phone First service), or go to A&E?
• When is it safe for my child to return to nursery or school?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the specialist who carries out my treatment, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this treatment not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified specialist for diarrhoea and gastroenteritis in children

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NHS — Diarrhoea and vomiting NICE CG84 — Diarrhoea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis in under 5s NHS — Rotavirus vaccine What0-18 (Healthier Together) — Diarrhoea and vomiting advice for parents NHS — Dehydration nidirect — Urgent and emergency care services (NI) nidirect — GP out-of-hours service (NI)

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.