When travelling by car, train, or boat, and even at the playground, motion sickness can cause discomfort and malaise.
Here are a few tips for preventing car sickness in children.
Motion sickness, or car sickness, is a common ailment in children, and can be very intense and unpleasant. It presents in situations related to movement, such as travelling by car, train, plane or boat, and can also occur when playing or when out and about, for example, when riding the attractions at an amusement park.
Car sickness in children manifests in nausea or vomiting, pallor, excessive salivation, dizziness, headache or widespread malaise.
Here are some tips to prevent car sickness:
- when travelling by car or in vehicles with wheels, try to place little ones in a position where they can look outside at their surroundings, facing the direction of travel;
- if possible, train the child to look at a steady reference point (e.g. the horizon);
- prevent children from reading or from performing activities that require the field of vision to adapt continuously (mobile phones, portable devices, etc.);
- distract your little one by singing songs together, reciting rhymes or telling stories;
- avoid causing them to move their head abruptly;
- travel by night if you can, or if not, place sunglasses with dark lenses on your child;
- encourage little ones to nap during the journey, or seat them as close to the centre of the vehicle as possible, in a reclined position with eyes closed;
- when travelling by car or coach, encourage children to imitate the driver and to tilt their body in the direction of the bends;
- prepare light meals, avoiding heavy foods;
- avoid unpleasant or strong odours inside the passenger compartment and ensure adequate ventilation.
These small changes can help you to prevent car sickness and ensure your baby enjoys a calm, peaceful journey.