Please Note: For those of you who linked right to this page and are not aware, the Never-Ending Squirrel Tale is a web site for the parents of kids with cancer. They have special dietary needs and this forum is used to exchange ideas from parent to parent on what worked for them. Nutrition-Related Topics: Loss of Appetite Nausea & Vomiting Diarrhea Mouth Sores & Difficulty Swallowing Taste Alterations Dry Mouth Recipes Always keep a gallon size, stand-up Ziploc® bag in the car with a partial roll of paper towels inside. When needing to vomit, pull out the towels, vomit into the bag, clean child with paper towels which you then toss into the bag and "zip" it. You'll be able to keep it until you find a trash can. It doesn't cure the nausea but it sure helps in getting to and from treatments! Product Recommendation: "Queasy Pop" Zofran It was mealtime during our trip on a small airline in the Northwest. "Would you like dinner?" the flight attendant asked the man seated in front of me. "What are my choices?" he asked. "Yes or no," she replied. —A Traveller When the waitress in a New York City restaurant brought him the soup du jour, the Englishman was a bit dismayed. "Good heavens," he said, "what is this?" "Why, it's bean soup," she replied. "I don't care what it has been," he sputtered. "What is it now?"

If nausea and vomiting are severe, your doctor may have to resort to withholding intake (even fluids) and rely on intravenous fluids to keep your child from becoming dehydrated. Once vomiting is under control, offer small amounts of clear fluids, (about 1-2 ounces every 30 minutes). When your child is ready to eat solids, your goal is to get food through the stomach as quickly as possible which is achieved with foods high in carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables and grains) because they empty from the stomach quickly. Foods should also be relatively low in fat because high-fat foods stay in the stomach longer. Also, nauseated children can better tolerate smaller, more frequent meals (3 meals and 3 snacks). Caution: Do not offer your child a favorite food when nauseated. Your child may come to associate this food with the vomiting and won't like it any more; and you'll want a long list of foods your child likes for times when they're not eating as much as they should because their appetite is suppressed. Watch for a pattern to determine what's causing the upset stomach and throwing up (such as particular medications) so you can plan meals and snacks around these times when possible. Also encourage your child to: Try liquids 30 minutes after eating (sips may be taken at meals) Sip fluids slowly Eat food slowly and chew food well Eat in a well ventilated room free of odors. If in hospital, have the lid taken off the tray before entering your child's room to reduce odors If your child is bothered by food odors, offer cold or cool foods. Opening a window or turning on a fan may also help to reduce food odors Wear loose, comfortable clothing Relax in an upright position after eating to ease digestion. Try not to let your child lie down flat for one hour after eating Try to limit physical activity for one hour after eating Eat dry foods such as dry cereal, crackers soon after getting up in the morning Try salty foods (if not on a salt restriction) Limit sweets, fried or heavily spiced foods if your child has been vomiting PRACTICAL tips to offer your child when he/she is nauseated ... Clear Fluids: fruit juice, fruit juice ice cubes, juice bars, frozen fruit treats caffeine-free flat pop, lemonade, non-carbonated fruit flavored drinks clear soup broth, gelatin desserts High carbohydrate, relatively low fat foods: Fruits/Vegetables: fresh fruit, especially those high in water content such as watermelon, kiwi, honeydew melon and cantaloupe canned fruit, e.g., peaches, pears, fruit cocktail, applesauce, apricots cooked vegetables, e.g., mashed or boiled potato, green and yellow beans, carrots, asparagus, squash and beets Milk Products: low fat (2%) milk, cottage cheese and yogurt puddings, custards, and cream soups made with 2% milk frozen yogurt or sherbet lower fat cheeses Grains: crackers, toast, bagels, buns with jam or honey (little or no margarine) dry cereal or hot cereal rice and soy sauce, pasta with plain sauce (e.g., cheese or tomato) plain cookies plain muffins, fruit muffins noodle soups Meat/Alternatives: poached, hard boiled or scrambled eggs, shrimp, or light tuna packed in water baked, roasted, barbequed, broiled, or steam meats, fish, and chicken Miscellaneous (in limited amounts): unbuttered popcorn, pretzels, angel food cake with low fat whipped topping hard candies Note:See the diarrhea management page for a list of high fat, heavily spiced foods to limit when your child is nauseated.