Acetonemic vomiting is recurrent episodes of persistent vomiting caused by a tendency to increase acetone concentrations in the blood and urine. It is a condition typically seen in children between 18 months and 5 years of age.
Acetonemic vomiting and diet - Symptoms and course
Symptoms are repeated vomiting occurring especially after a dietary error (excessive consumption of fatty foods), with prolonged starvation, or during an upper respiratory tract infection.
When to go to the doctor and cure
An acute incident of acetonemic vomiting almost always requires urgent medical attention and intravenous hydration. However, prevention is possible by following certain dietary rules.
Acetonemic vomiting and diet - Treatment
Incipient acetonuria (positive urine sample tested with a strip test) or a recent incident of acetone-induced vomiting treated with intravenous hydration is an indication to include a low-fat and carbohydrate-rich diet for a few days.
Examples of recommended foods are: white bread with honey or jam, biscuits, jelly, fruit jelly, vegetable, potato, rice or buckwheat soup (with vegetable stock, no meat or fat), pasta with apple, boiled chicken, potatoes without fat, boiled carrots, to drink - tea sweetened with sugar or glucose, bean-fruit, carrot, fruit juices, compote
General recommendations:
1) Do not allow long gaps between meals: 6-7 smaller meals a day at regular intervals of 2-3 hours are recommended.
2) The diet should be predominantly carbohydrate-rich foods, with fats kept to a minimum.
3) Children should be made aware of the very high fat content of their favourite foods, such as crisps or chips. These are contraindicated in a child with a tendency to acetonuria.