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Food poisoning happens when your baby or toddler eats food or drinks water contaminated with harmful germs, most often bacteria. Some viruses can cause food poisoning, too.
Because your child's immune system is still developing, kids younger than 5 are more likely to get food poisoning and can become sicker than older children or adults. Here's what to do if your child gets food poisoning, and steps you can take to prevent it.
Key Takeaways
- Food poisoning is common in young kids, and children younger than 5 are more likely to get seriously sick because their immune systems are still developing.
- The most important treatment is preventing dehydration. Most children recover at home with plenty of fluids, but severe symptoms or signs of dehydration mean it's time to call the doctor or seek emergency care.
- Once your child can keep food down, return to a normal, balanced diet as soon as possible. Most cases improve on their own, though bacterial infections sometimes require antibiotics.
- Safe food handling is the best prevention. Proper food storage, handwashing, cooking foods to safe temperatures, and avoiding unpasteurized foods can help protect your child from foodborne illness.
How can I tell if my child has food poisoning?
If your child has food poisoning, the symptoms will likely appear two to 48 hours after they eat contaminated food. Symptoms will usually last a day or two, but can continue for a week or more in severe cases.
With kids, it can be difficult to tell food poisoning from a stomach flu because the symptoms are so similar:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping
- Nausea
- Fever, chills, and achiness
- Headache
- Excessive fussiness in a baby (which may signal abdominal pain)
When should I call the doctor?
Talk to a doctor as soon as you think your child might have food poisoning – especially if they have severe symptoms, including:
- Vomiting for more than three days
- Severe headache or abdominal pain
- Blood in stool or vomit
- A swollen, hard belly
- Sleepiness
Your doctor will help determine whether it's safe to care for your child at home, whether they should be seen in the office, or whether they need emergency care.
Also call the doctor if your child shows signs of mild or moderate dehydration, including:
- No tears or fewer tears when crying
- Going more than six hours without peeing
- Dark yellow urine
- Lethargy
- A parched mouth
But call 911 or go to the emergency room right away if your child shows signs of severe dehydration, like:
- Sunken eyes
- Lethargy
- Cold, splotchy hands and feet
- Excessive sleepiness or fussiness
- Peeing only one or two times a day
- Rapid heartbeat
How is food poisoning treated?
Usually, a case of food poisoning just needs to run its course. If the food poisoning was caused by bacteria, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic.
But if your child gets severely dehydrated, the doctor may admit them to the hospital or have you go to urgent care or the emergency room for intravenous (IV) fluids.
How can I ease my child's symptoms?
The most important thing is to keep your child hydrated to replace the fluids they're losing from vomiting and diarrhea. Continue offering breast milk or formula to your baby, and give your toddler frequent sips of water. If your child won't drink, try offering small amounts of fluid with a syringe.
Your doctor may recommend an oral pediatric electrolyte solution to replace lost fluids and electrolytes (salts and minerals). These also come as ice pops, which some kids find easier to tolerate. Avoid juice, soda, sports drinks, and other sweetened beverages, which can make diarrhea worse.
If your child has a fever, ask the doctor whether acetaminophen (for babies 2 months and older) or ibuprofen (for babies 6 months and older) is appropriate.
As soon as your child is keeping food down, return to their normal diet. Foods like bread, cereal, rice, lean meat, yogurt, fruits, and vegetables can help support recovery, while fatty foods may make symptoms worse. If your child doesn't have much of an appetite for a day or two, don't worry. Just focus on keeping them hydrated.
How can I protect my child from foodborne illness?
It's impossible to protect your child from all foodborne bacteria. But you can lower the risk of contracting food poisoning by following safe food storage and preparation practices. Here are some important ones:
Food storage safety tips
- Defrost food in the refrigerator, not on the countertop or in the sink.
- Don't eat meat, poultry, or fish that's been uncooked and sitting in the fridge for more than one or two days.
- Don't use outdated food, packaged food that has a broken seal, or cans that are dented or misshapen.
- Don't leave food or beverages outside the refrigerator for more than an hour before consuming.
- Keep hot food hot, and cold food cold, before eating it.
- Clean lids of canned goods before opening.
Food prep safety tips
- Thoroughly wash hands – yours and your child's – often, with warm water and soap. Always wash hands before preparing food.
- Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under cool water. Use a produce brush to remove dirt.
- After preparing raw meat, poultry, or fish, wash all kitchen surfaces well with hot, soapy water.
- If someone in the family is sick, disinfect areas with a bleach-based household cleaner. Leave the disinfectant on the area for at least five minutes, then clean again with soap and hot water.
- Use separate cutting boards, plates, and knives for produce and for raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs.
- Never put cooked food, like grilled meat, back on a plate or cutting board that held uncooked food.
- Make sure food is cooked well. Use a meat thermometer: Beef should be at least 160 degrees F, poultry at least 165 degrees F, and fish at least 145 degrees F.
- When reheating food, be sure to do so thoroughly. Don't just warm it. Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a rolling boil. Reheat other leftovers to 165 degrees F.
- Follow directions for safely mixing baby formula.
More food safety tips
- Don't serve food that looks or smells unusual or off.
- Don't give your child unpasteurized food or drink, such as cheese or juice.
- Don't drink water from untreated wells or streams.
How can I tell what kind of food poisoning my child has?
Testing blood, stool, and leftover food may identify the cause of food poisoning, but often the doctor won't need to identify the exact culprit because the treatment is the same regardless.
If there's blood in your child's stool or if the symptoms are severe or prolonged, the doctor may test to make sure that your child doesn't have food poisoning caused by certain dangerous bacteria.
What are the most common types of food poisoning?
The most common foodborne infections are caused by these bacteria:
- Campylobacter
- Salmonella
- Clostridium perfringens
Parasites such as Cyclospora, as well as noroviruses, also cause food poisoning.
Four other infectious organisms are less common but are more likely to cause more severe symptoms leading to hospitalization: Salmonella, Listeria, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium botulinum.
Let's take a look at some in more detail.
Botulism
There are only about 100 to 200 cases of botulism in the United States each year, but it's particularly worrisome because it can be life-threatening for a baby.
How it's transmitted: Botulism is caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Infant botulism happens when a baby eats the bacteria or its spores, and they then grow in the intestinal tract.
This bacteria is found in soil, but it's most often transmitted through improperly canned or preserved food, home-canned vegetables, cured pork and ham, smoked or raw fish, corn syrup, honey, and sometimes baby formula.
Symptoms: Constipation and weakness; left untreated, muscle and respiratory paralysis. With a baby, the weakness can result in loss of muscle tone, a weak cry, droopy eyelids, weak sucking, and trouble feeding due to difficulty swallowing.
Timing: Symptoms usually show up in eight to 36 hours after contact with the bacteria. Most babies who get botulism need to stay in the hospital for treatment, sometimes for a few weeks.
Campylobacter
Campylobacter is the most frequent bacterial cause of food poisoning.
How it's transmitted: Campylobacter is usually transmitted through raw or undercooked poultry or unpasteurized milk. You can also get it from contaminated water, or through dog or cat poop. It's not usually spread from person to person, but it can be. If your child is infected and has diarrhea, for example, you could possibly get it from changing their diaper and not thoroughly washing your hands.
Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), cramping, abdominal pain, and fever – but possibly no symptoms.
Timing: Symptoms usually show up about two to five days after infection, and usually last about a week.
Clostridium perfringens
Foods that are prepared in large quantities and kept warm for a long time before serving are a common source of Clostridium perfringens.
How it's transmitted: C. perfringens is often found on raw meat and poultry. Other common sources are gravies and dried or precooked foods.
Symptoms: A sudden onset of diarrhea and abdominal cramps.
Timing: Symptoms appear within 6 to 24 hours, and are usually gone after a day or two. Young children can have more severe symptoms that last for a week or two.
Cyclospora
Cyclospora is a parasite that causes cyclosporiasis.
How it's transmitted: Cyclospora is transmitted through raw fruits, vegetables, herbs, and water contaminated with feces. It doesn't usually spread person to person. It's more common in tropical and subtropical areas, but has been known to spread in the United States.
Symptoms: Watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, and bloating; but sometimes there are no symptoms.
Timing: Cyclosporiasis symptoms usually start between two days and two weeks after exposure. The illness typically lasts about a week, but it can be as short as two days or as long as two weeks or more.
Norovirus
Norovirus is the most common cause of stomach bugs in the United States. It's highly contagious, so it spreads easily in group settings like daycare.
How it's transmitted: Norovirus is transmitted through contaminated food, water, utensils, and surfaces.
Symptoms: Severe vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain.
Timing: Vomiting usually begins suddenly, about 24 to 48 hours after contact with the virus, though symptoms can show up as early as 12 hours. A case of norovirus usually goes away on its own in one to two days.
Salmonella
In a very young baby, salmonella can invade the bloodstream and become life-threatening.
How it's transmitted: Salmonella can be present in raw or undercooked eggs, poultry and meat, raw milk and dairy products, and seafood, and can be spread by food handlers. Reptiles like pet iguanas, turtles, lizards, and snakes can also carry salmonella.
Symptoms: Fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and possibly tiny pink spots on the skin.
Timing: Symptoms usually start 6 hours to six days after contact and last for four to seven days. The bacteria can continue to exist in the body for months.
