Causes Of Motion Sickness In Children And How To Overcome It

JAKARTA - Motion sickness occurs when the brain receives conflicting information from the inner ear, eyes, and nerves in joints and muscles. Imagine if a child is sitting in the low back seat of a car without being able to look out the window or an older child is reading a book in the car. A child's inner ear will feel movement, but his eyes and body will not. The consequences that arise are abdominal pain, cold sweats, fatigue, loss of appetite or vomiting.

To prevent motion sickness in children, you can try the following strategies, according to the Mayo Clinic, Friday, April 1.

• Reduce sensory input. When driving with your child, encourage him to look outside the car instead of focusing on books, games, or screens. If your child is napping, traveling during your little one's bedtime might help.
• Manage children's food consumption before traveling. Do not feed your child a heavy meal before or during a car trip. If the trip is going to be long or your child needs to eat, give him a snack such as biscuits and a small drink before leaving.
• Open the car window during the trip. Adequate air ventilation can help prevent your child from getting motion sickness.
• Give a diversion. If your child is prone to motion sickness, try to distract him during the trip by talking to him, listening to music, or singing a song.
• Give medicine. If you are planning a trip by car, ask your pediatrician about using an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl), to prevent motion sickness. Both drugs work best if taken about an hour before traveling. Read product labels carefully to determine the correct dosage and watch for side effects such as drowsiness. Antihistamines that do not cause drowsiness are not effective at treating motion sickness.
• If your child starts to get motion sickness, stop the car as soon as possible and let the child get out and go for a walk or lie on his back for a few minutes with his eyes closed. Compressing the child's forehead with a cold cloth can also help.

If these tips don't help or if your child's motion sickness makes traveling difficult, talk to your doctor about other options.