Car sickness in children

Many children suffer from car sickness, a disorder that usually goes with growth. Meanwhile, here are some tips to better face a long journey by car. Motion sickness (the medical term that indicates a sense of nausea experienced in a vehicle) includes all those disorders that affect one person in a moving car, train, plane or boat. The center of balance, located in the inner ear has difficulty in managing the firm being in a universe in motion and this causes some people a sense of nausea. This phenomenon rarely affects infants and very young children, who have not the sense of balance, but is more common in women and older children.

Before you travelBefore a long trip you must be sure that your child has enough sleep, lack of sleep can increase the sense of nausea. We therefore recommend to wake him at the last minute, to avoid the stress of the preparations. It is also important that they travel on a full stomach, a good breakfast or a snack of complex carbohydrates and low in fat (a bit of bread, for example) are ideal, but as far as possible avoid giving him liquid, especially the milk. Expected to have digested a bit before leaving.

If your child often suffer from motion sickness, you can give him half an hour before the start of the antihistamines, for sale at any pharmacy (always ask your doctor).

The sick feeling in the means of transport is often psychological. Always explain to your child how to play the journey, the anxiety before the departure may increase the sickness.

How to prevent your child has sicknessDriving smoothly, with no brake suddenly, and rather take the highway that the country roads, narrow and winding. Create a serene and quiet in the cockpit, with the soft music. Why not sing along? In the event of a traffic jam or not to show your child that you are getting nervous, will suffer too.

Choose a seat with the back straight and tall enough so your child can see out the window. Draws his attention outward, for example by the game to count the red cars, not let it read: the risk of nausea increased when attention is focused on a fixed point. Also avoid strong smells (perfume, garlic salami,etc).

If the weather is clement, open the window and you get a bit of fresh air. Keep car wipes or a bottle of refreshing water spray to refresh your face in case of intense heat. If you are traveling in winter, remember that scarves and high collars foster a sense of nausea.