My child always gets car sick: what should I do?
Almost 1 in 2 children experience car or travel sickness at some stage and this common occurrence can be confronting for parents when it happens. Here’s what you can do.To help get a better understanding of the condition and what parents can do to help, carsales got some expert advice from Dr Wonie Uahwatanasakul, a paediatrician at The Royal Children’s Hospital.
What exactly is car sickness?
“Car sickness or motion sickness is a feeling of nausea, dizziness, and general discomfort. It is caused by mixed messages to your brain from your eyes, inner ear and body from the movement being experienced,” says Uahwatanasakul.
“For example, if in a car, the inner ear will sense movement, but the eyes may not if a child is sitting in a position where the outside view is not visible to them.”
Although it is often referred to as car sickness, the condition can also be experienced while on a bus, train, ship, amusement park ride, playground equipment and even while playing some video games.
Certain children can be more prone than others
Some kids have it worse than others.
“There are some children more prone to feeling car sick and this depends on their age, genetics and previous experience,” says Uahwatanasakul.
Some factors which increase the likelihood of car sickness include:
- Children under the age of 12 years as their balance system is still developing.
- If one or other parents had car sickness as a child, this will mean their children are more likely to have it.
- If children have experienced car sickness before they might become anxious about a car trip, and this can also make it more likely to develop again.
Driving conditions can increase the odds
No, you’re not imagining it, some roads and cars can also increase the likelihood of car sickness.
“Roads that are winding or traffic where the car is stopping and starting frequently or a bumpy road will generally make the motion mismatch of signals to the brain worse,” says Uahwatanasakul.
Additionally, rear-facing car seats and sitting in the back seats of cars generally allow less visibility of the outside environment, and make motion sickness worse.
“Smaller compact cars might also offer less stability than larger vehicles so more likely that motion sickness can occur,” Uahwatanasakul adds.
Signs your baby or child might be experiencing car sickness
For babies or children who are not yet talking, signs that they may be experiencing car sickness include being unsettled, starting to cry, or becoming pale during car trips.
“They may sometimes even vomit,” says Uahwatanasakul.
For children who can talk, “they may complain of dizziness, nausea, their tummy hurting, they might be restless or ask for the car to stop. They might also look pale and if the trip continues, they might vomit,” she says.
How to lower the risk
Reducing the chance of car sickness can be done by:
- Avoid long journeys and have frequent stops to get out of the car and walk around in fresh air if you think your child is experiencing any discomfort on a journey.
- Sitting children who are over the age of 12 in the front passenger seat can give them a better view outside the car. Research shows that children under 12 years are much safer travelling in the back seat.
- Having a pretend driving wheel for them to use while on a car journey can be a great help too as it can help them prepare for the movement their body experiences.
- For children in the rear seats, positioning a car seat in the middle, provided the car seat can be safely anchored in the middle seat, can improve their view of the outside.
- Avoiding heavy meals before a car journey so children do not have a very full stomach is a good idea. Ensure your child is well hydrated but avoid sugary carbonated drinks.
- Ginger drinks or snacks before or during the journey can help with nausea. Ginger tablets are available at the chemist for children over 6 years of age.
- Avoid reading books or screen time as looking down can exacerbate motion sickness and encouraging your child to focus on the road/horizon is more helpful.
- Keep your car well-ventilated, with a window slightly open or cool with air conditioning.
How to help if they are car sick
If you think your child is feeling sick, Uahwatanasakul suggests the following:
- Stop the car as soon as safe and let your child out to walk and be in fresh air for a short break before continuing the travel.
- Try to keep your child calm and relaxed; music or talking can distract them from their discomfort.
- Try ginger or peppermint natural remedies (lollies or tea) that might alleviate nausea.
- During the trip offering your child to smell a freshly cut lemon or lime can be distracting from the nausea of car sickness.
- Offer small sips of water to keep your child hydrated.
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