Could my 5 month old be dehydrated?

My son is 5 1/2 months old.  He is typically in very good health, but last night I noticed a very small amount of blood in his spitup (about the width of a pencil eraser on his pajamas.)  Today I have noticed that he is urinating a lot less than he typically does.  Is it possible that these are symptoms of dehydration or something else?  I don't know if these symptoms are related or if I should be concerned.  Should I take him to the doctor?

[newbieG]

i am a nurse in a peds icu.  if your baby isnt urinating as much, then yes he is dehydrated.  try pedialyte if he is not tolerating formula, and see if he keeps that down ok.  as far as blood in his spit up, he may have some irritation, maybe from acid reflux.  if it was an isolated incident and a small amount i would not worry.  that is not something usually associated with dehydration.  i would absolutely call your md in the morning.  if he contiues to spit up and decreased amt of wet diapers he may need to go to the er for rehydration.  babies get dehydrated a lot faster than we do b/c they are so little and their circulating volume is a lot less than ours.  if he is spitting up alot and not keeping ANYTHING down that is also cause for concern, and/or if you continue to see blood.  can you call the md on call just to talk to them about sypmtoms?  i would prob try to get him in to see the md if this continues.  hope this helps, good luck.

[emma10]

Are his tears/eyes wet? Is his fontanelle sunken? Is his saliva drooly, or mouth chalky? Sometimes you can tell dehyd. from that. It sounds quite urgent to me (just a mom, not a dr.).... hope you can get him in right away.

[kierstynsmommy]

Do you breastfeed? Sometimes babies can spit up blood from breastfeeding if your nipples are cracked.

[Kristen26]

Yes, I think you should take him to the doctor. Mom's know their baby's the best and know when anything is different. Even if everything is O.K. at least you will have peace of mind. Hope your little one is feeling better soon!

[myproblem]

I agree that if you are nirsing, that it could be your blood. My nephew threw up blood all over the place, and it turned out to be from my SIL. She didn't realize she was bleeding while he nursed. Otherwise I would take him in to the Dr. today.