Motion sickness of a child in transport is a fairly common problem. Every second baby at least once in his life has encountered unpleasant symptoms of kinetosis. That’s what doctors call seasickness.
The abundance of negative emotions and extremely unpleasant sensations that cause motion sickness can give odds to many other diseases.
Therefore, not only children, but also many parents with nervousness prepare for any long-distance routes, trying to choose the shortest and most sparing of them so that the child does not experience suffering. Why are children so sick with transport so often, how to prevent the development of symptoms of kinetosis, and how can one help a child if he is still sick?
Why does the child cradle in transport?
The main cause of motion sickness of children in transport is a weak vestibular apparatus. This is the body that is responsible for the balance and orientation of a person in the surrounding space. The vestibular apparatus responds with an immediate reaction to any changes in the position of the trunk and head, this reaction is most pronounced during a trip on any type of transport.
In young children (up to about 18 months), the vestibular apparatus is in a sleeping state, which is why they never have problems with motion sickness when traveling. After a year and a half, the body begins its vigorous activity, but since it is still at the stage of development and formation, its work can be called full-fledged only when the child is 14 years old. That is why until this age, many children can not withstand jolting and shaking during the trip.
The vestibular apparatus is located in the inner ear of a person, so sometimes the cause of motion sickness may be not its imperfection, but a hearing disease in a child. Therefore, in order to verify the health of the baby, it will be useful to consult with an ENT doctor on the appropriate pathologies.
Also, the cause of the motion sickness of the child in transport may be the weakness of his autonomic nervous system. Specialists note that children suffering from neurological problems are more likely to experience symptoms of motion sickness in vehicles.
Symptoms
If the child is rocked on the road – this can be seen immediately. Vomiting is not always the main symptom of motion sickness; everything is very individual. In some children, signs of motion sickness appear in the form of severe anxiety, headache and dizziness. Other babies, especially those who still speak poorly, instead of complaining about their health, begin to cry. Many have pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, droplets of sweat appear on the body. Abundant salivation is often noted. Some children react to sleep sickness.
If the vehicle is not stopped at this point, vomiting usually occurs. But it does not bring the child the desired relief. Sometimes children complain that their limbs are numb, less often the kids just lose consciousness.
What to do if the child is motion sick?
If a child is sick with transport, first of all, it is necessary to provide the baby with maximum oxygen access. To do this, open the window, when traveling on your own transport – make an emergency stop and take a walk in the fresh air.
It is necessary to calm the child, pat on the head, hug him and explain that nothing bad happened. Even if he vomited in front of others, in no case do not scold and blame him for this. You can’t take sweet carbonated drinks and dairy products on the road – they exacerbate the problem, intensifying bouts of nausea and vomiting.
Offer your child mint candies and clean still water. If you are not allergic to citrus fruits, you can add lemon to the water. Acidified water helps in the fight against nausea and motion sickness. Instead of lollipops, you can offer your child tangerine or lime, but they should be eaten slowly, absorbing each bite.
How to prepare for the trip
Before a long trip, you must be prepared. Before leaving, the child should sleep well and be awake. Some parents, on the contrary, try to take tired children on the road in order to avoid motion sickness, hoping that they will fall asleep along the way and symptoms of seasickness will bypass them. Doing this is strongly discouraged.
Accumulated fatigue will weaken the adaptive and protective mechanisms of the body, against which the vestibular apparatus will crash faster and brighter. The child will not only not be able to fall asleep on the road, because of the symptoms of motion sickness, he will be exhausted and more tired. It is doubtful that such a trip will bring joy to him and his parents.
If you have to go by bus, try to buy tickets for seats in front of the passenger compartment, facing the direction of travel. As a rule, there shakes and shakes less, moreover, the child may be interested in the road and distract from his condition.
Before the trip you should definitely eat, but not tight. A hungry stomach, just like a crowded one, can become the basis for the rapid development of symptoms of kinetosis. The meal should be lean and light. You can not offer a child suffering from seasick disease, before and during the road, heavy meat dishes, eggs, milk, strong broths, grapes, legumes and salads. All this causes fermentation processes in the body and enhances nausea and vomiting during motion sickness.
Be sure to take with you on a trip a change of clothes for the baby, a sufficient number of plastic bags, dry and wet wipes, as well as a children’s first aid kit with the necessary medications.
A child cradles a plane
A child from motion sickness in an airplane is better to choose a place in the middle of the cabin. It is there that the least vibration and pitching during the flight. Typically, aircraft shake noticeably only during takeoff and climb and when landing. The rest of the time they fly above the turbulent air currents.
If the child begins to be very worried about the plane, then the problem may not be motion sickness, but pain in the ears associated with a decrease in atmospheric pressure. Young children are most susceptible to this. In any case, you need to help the child in the first place, calming him. You can offer him a lollipop and clean water. Before the flight, it is recommended to instill vasoconstrictor drugs into the nose.
Children with diagnosed otitis media are contraindicated in flying. Otherwise, bouts of seasickness and severe pain can not be avoided for such a child.
Remedies for nausea
Currently developed a lot of funds from motion sickness for children, which can be purchased at each pharmacy. If the child is severely motion sick while traveling, despite all the efforts of the parents, it makes sense to consult a doctor and choose medications for motion sickness for children.
Consider the most popular of them.
Drama
This is a remedy for motion sickness for children 2 years of age and older, which has a direct effect on the vestibular apparatus. Thanks to him, you can avoid all the delights of seasickness – nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Despite the fact that the drug is effective, it has some side effects in the form of headache, drowsiness, decreased concentration, etc.
Kokkulin
These are homeopathic motion sickness pills for children. The drug is good in that it does not have a side effect, does not provoke drowsiness. Tablets do not need to be washed down with water, which is very convenient during the trip. But like any homeopathic remedy, it is not recommended to prescribe it to a child on his own. It should be recommended by a homeopath after examining a baby.
Air sea
A popular domestic drug for motion sickness for children, which copes well with the symptoms of motion sickness and does not have side effects. The only contraindication for his appointment is a child under 3 years old.
Bonin
A potent remedy for children from motion sickness in a car and any other form of transport, which has many contraindications. For example, you can use it only when the child is 12 years old.
In addition to pills, there is another effective remedy – an acupuncture bracelet for motion sickness, which effectively suppresses nausea and dizziness. It can be used not only for children, but also for pregnant women against the background of severe toxicosis, since this is a non-medication that does not have side effects.
How to train the vestibular apparatus?
If the family practices an active lifestyle, parents are used to traveling and often drive a car, the child’s vestibular apparatus needs to be started to train in advance. In this case, the likelihood of developing seasickness will be reduced or its consequences will be less pronounced.
Most young parents regularly take their children with them from birth to travel by car to the store, clinic or visit. In this case, the vestibular apparatus of the baby from the first months of life begins to adapt to movement. Of course, such trips should be carried out with the help of a special child car seat and at short distances.
But not all parents can afford a car or regular trips on it, so you can train your child’s vestibular apparatus at home. The main thing in these trainings is systematic.
Exercises aimed at improving the vestibular apparatus may include carrying and swinging the child in his arms, spinning the baby in the air, flipping and spinning (it is better to do all these gymnastic tricks with the help of dad). You can also use the gymnastic ball, spread the crumb belly on it and swing it in different directions.
Children over 2 years old can be taught to ride the sausage on the floor, rolling from side to side. Walking along the curb or gymnastic beam, all kinds of swings and carousels, jumping on an air mattress and swimming are also useful. Older children can train the vestibular apparatus through dancing and cycling.
In order not to expose the child to additional risk on the road, feed him on the trip with products that are taken from home or with food that you have no doubt about. Unfamiliar places of catering can ruin the impression of a trip, regardless of the state of the vestibular apparatus.
Before a long trip, it is best to consult a pediatrician. If necessary, he will recommend drugs for motion sickness, suitable for children.
