Here’s What Kids Should Eat and Drink With a Stomach Virus

The vomiting and diarrhea that come with stomach virus symptoms can turn everyday routines like eating and drinking into a battle. It might be scary to see your kid go hours and hours without keeping down a single bite of nourishment, but rest assured: This is normal.

“When a child has a stomach virus, it’s really hard to eat. You don’t have much of an appetite,” says Preeti Parikh, MD, Pediatrician at The Mount Sinai Hospital. “Don’t worry about the food. Focus on the drinking and making sure they stay hydrated.”

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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