Persistent/recurrent vomiting

Facts

Nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting (being sick) is very common in children and is usually caused by a minor illness. Most children with nausea and vomiting will not have a brain tumour.
Most children with nausea and vomiting due to a brain tumour will have other signs or symptoms – these should be looked for carefully.
Children with persistent vomiting require assessment to determine the cause.

Nausea and vomiting due to a brain tumour:

will usually be persistent, occurring on most days
may wake the child up, or occur particularly when they wake up
will not be accompanied by diarrhoea or a high temperature
will usually be accompanied by a headache

In this age group, some children will not be able to describe how they feel, or may have difficulty in doing so, and you may need to look out for signs that they are unwell from how they look or behave. A child with nausea may go off their food, or may hold their hands to their stomach.

There are a number of conditions that can be associated with nausea and vomiting, and dehydration is also a risk; further general information on vomiting in children can be found at NHS Choices.