When a child gets sick in the car, it can be rough for a family. Their outings are limited, and they worry they may never get to go on that family road trip that they always wanted to go on. A trip to a loved one or a day out running errands becomes a time filled with fear. Parents worry that their child will throw up, so they travel stocked with plastic bags and changes of clothes. What makes it even worse is if a child gets sick in the car, there is a good chance that the car seat is also covered. Cleaning a car seat is never on the top of any mom's list of things she wants to do.
It also leads mom to try and find a solution. She doesn't want her child to be uncomfortable in the car, and she certainly will not want to keep pulling over to clean up vomit. There are some essential things to know when it comes to helping your child handle movement better. Mom needs to understand why car sickness happens if that is what her child is going through and the steps she can take to correct it.
What Is Car Sickness?
Car Sickness is really just another term for motion sickness, and it is something that even a lot of adults suffer with. They deal with it in cars, on planes, and boats. Motion sickness happens when the brain receives conflicting signals from the motion-sensing parts of the human body, according to Healthy Children. These motion-sensing parts of the body are typically the inner ears, eyes, and nerves in the arms and legs.
An example of what would cause this is if your child is watching something that is moving fast, but their ears and limbs do not feel or recognize movement. The reason this happens with children is because they are sitting low in their car seat. They can not see out the window, so their body senses that they are moving but their eyes can not match the movement.
The good news is that children typically grow out of motion sickness. According to Today’s Parent, this is largely due to the fact that children grow and one day they will be able to see out the window so that all of their senses match up. However, even if it is short-lived, mom will want to try and lessen the frequency and severity of the symptoms for her child’s comfort, and hers.
What Can Mom Do When Her Child Feels Car Sick?
According to Children’s MD, there are a number of medications that can be very helpful when it comes to preventing motion sickness. It is always best to talk to your child’s doctor before trying a medication on them. Medications may be helpful if mom is planning a family trip that involves a lot of time spent in the car, or on a plane. Some parents may not want to go right to medication, they may want to try some more natural remedies first.
Another great alternative is aromatherapy. Aromatherapy may not be something that mom thinks of automatically, but there has been research done that shows that mint and lavender are effective as an anti-nausea agent. Try putting an air freshener in the car when you are driving and that may be enough to help your little one’s stomach.
Sea-Bands are something else that a lot of people rely on when it comes to motion sickness, and you can purchase ones for children. There is not a lot of information on the benefits of this type of treatment, but it may be worth a try. There are also a lot of actions that mom can get her child to try when they start to feel a little queasy. Mom can have her child close their eyes or have them focus their look on something in the distant. This will help block out the senses that may be causing it.
Deep breathing is also a technique that can work, but it can be hard to instruct a child on how to breathe deeply. Singing is a great way to get a child to take some deep breaths without even realizing it. Put that Baby Shark in the car stereo and sing along. If there are times when nothing seems to be working, mom may need to pull over and letting her child lay down for a minute to help them restore their sense of still and balance. If your aim is to prevent the throw up, don’t plan your travel right after they have eaten a meal. Offer them small and light snacks before traveling.
Sources: Children's MD, Today's Parent, Healthy Children