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Diarrhea in children while travelling is usually a short stomach infection that clears within days, but children dehydrate faster than adults. Keep feeding as normal, offer small sips of fluid often and use oral rehydration solution if a pharmacist advises it. Drowsiness, no wet nappy for 12 hours or a sunken soft spot need urgent help.
Why children need closer watching
Children have smaller fluid reserves than adults, so the same amount of diarrhoea or vomiting dries them out more quickly. Babies and toddlers also cannot tell you they feel dizzy or thirsty, which means you have to read the signs for them.
Most children with a stomach bug on holiday recover without treatment. NHS guidance says diarrhoea usually stops within five to seven days and vomiting within one or two days. Your job in that time is simple to describe and tiring to do: keep fluids going in, watch for dehydration, and know which signs mean you should stop waiting.
What to give a child with diarrhoea
Keep feeding and offer extra fluid little and often.
- Babies: carry on breastfeeding or bottle feeding as usual. Offer feeds more often if the baby will take them.
- Older children: small sips of water every few minutes, especially after vomiting. A spoon or a small cup works better than a full bottle.
- Oral rehydration solution: a pharmacist can recommend sachets suitable for your child's age. Mix them exactly as the packet says. They replace salts as well as water.
- Food: offer normal food once the child wants it. Small, plain meals are easiest.
- Avoid fruit juice and fizzy drinks. In children they can make diarrhoea worse.
Do not give anti-diarrhoeal medicines to children unless a doctor says they are suitable. If your child has a temperature and you want to use a fever medicine, ask the pharmacist which one and how much for your child's age and weight.
Signs of dehydration in children
Check your child every few hours, and more often for babies. Watch for:
- Fewer wet nappies, or a child who has not needed the toilet for many hours
- Dark yellow, strong-smelling urine
- A dry mouth and lips
- Few or no tears when crying
- Sunken eyes
- In babies, a sunken soft spot (fontanelle) on the top of the head
- Unusual tiredness, irritability or drowsiness
- Cold hands and feet
A child who is still playing, drinking and passing pale urine is usually coping. A child who is quiet, floppy and not interested in drinking is not, even if the diarrhoea seems mild.
Practical help in Istanbul
Pharmacies (Eczane) are found on almost every main street in central Istanbul and sell rehydration sachets for children. At night and on Sundays, use the on-duty pharmacy rota called nöbetçi eczane: any closed pharmacy shows the nearest open one in its window, and hotel reception can usually phone ahead.
Ask your hotel for extra towels, a kettle to boil water for cleaning bottles, and bottled water for mixing rehydration solution. In the summer heat a child loses more fluid through sweat, so plan quieter, shaded days until they recover. Keep the illness from spreading through the family: wash hands with soap after every nappy change and toilet visit, and use separate towels.
When you contact a medical service, say clearly that the patient is a child and give their age, weight if you know it, how many wet nappies or toilet visits in the last 12 hours, and whether they are drinking. A doctor visit at your hotel can be arranged for many families; the team confirms whether a home visit is suitable or whether a hospital with a children's emergency department is the safer place. Our guide to healthcare for families visiting Istanbul covers this in more detail.
Keeping a simple record
A tired parent at 3 a.m. forgets details. Note on your phone each time your child drinks, has a wet nappy or uses the toilet, vomits or has diarrhoea, plus their temperature if you check it. That record shows whether things are improving and is exactly what a doctor will ask for.
Flying home with a recovering child
If your child is getting better but you are due to fly, keep feeds and drinks going during the flight, pack rehydration sachets, spare clothes and nappies in your hand luggage, and offer drinks during take-off and landing. If the child is still vomiting, very tired or not passing urine normally, get a medical check before the flight; a doctor can advise whether travel is sensible.
When to get help for a child
Get a same-day medical assessment for your child if:
- They show signs of dehydration from the list above
- Vomiting lasts more than a day, or they cannot keep fluids down
- Diarrhoea lasts more than five days or is getting worse
- They have a high temperature, or they are a baby under three months with any temperature
- They have a long-term condition such as diabetes or kidney disease
- You are worried, even if you cannot say exactly why
Related Services
- Hotel Doctor in Istanbul — an examination at your hotel, Airbnb or residence.
- Urgent Doctor Visit — for same-day concerns that are not an emergency.
- Tourist Health Kit — basic travel supplies delivered to your accommodation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know if my child is dehydrated?
- Look for fewer wet nappies, dark urine, a dry mouth, no tears, sunken eyes and unusual drowsiness. In babies, a sunken soft spot on the head is an important sign.
- What should my child drink when they have diarrhoea?
- Keep breastfeeding or bottle feeding babies. Give older children small sips of water often, and oral rehydration solution if a pharmacist recommends it. Avoid fruit juice and fizzy drinks.
- Can I give my child anti-diarrhoea medicine?
- Not unless a doctor says it is suitable. These medicines are generally not recommended for children, and fluids are the main treatment.
- When should I take my child to hospital in Istanbul?
- Go to an emergency department or call 112 if your child is very drowsy, floppy, has had no wet nappy for 12 hours, has blood in their stool or vomit, or is struggling to breathe.
If your child is unwell and you would like advice on the next step, send a WhatsApp message with their age, symptoms and where you are staying.