Contents
What to do if a child is seasick, doctor’s advice, Tatiana Butskaya
With age, this trouble usually escalates. But what if you don’t want to wait 12 or even 14 years, but want to travel?
“We wanted to go to the sea this year. I don’t know what to do: Alice is terribly sick in the car. A maximum of 15 minutes of travel is enough, ”a colleague complains. Her Alice is already five years old, but traveling with her is still a problem. She behaves beautifully, but very quickly turns pale, turns green and … In general, you get the idea.
Parents face such a problem very often. And children do not always “outgrow” it. Tatiana Butskaya, a medical blogger, pediatrician and organizer of the Pregnant Gatherings project, advises what to do.
The main companions of motion sickness are nausea and vomiting. Often they are preceded by pallor, loss of appetite, severe salivation, restless or, on the contrary, too lethargic behavior.
The emergence of “seasickness” is explained by conflicting signals entering the brain. To put it simply, the eyes see that we are moving, and the brain says that we are sitting still. The problem is aggravated if the child is stressed, if he is worried. And even if there are some diseases.
– Weak vestibular apparatus. Its ripening begins at a year and a half (which is why the disease debuts only after this age), and ends at 12-14 years old.
– Immaturity of the vegetative system.
– Diseases of the ear.
15 ways to deal with the problem
– If you have a long trip by car, plan it at night. Firstly, the painful flickering of houses and trees will not be visible outside the window, and secondly, there is a chance that the child will simply fall asleep.
– Place the child car seat in the center of the rear seat. When the child sits in it, ask him to look forward, and not to the sides.
– Give up smoking at least for the duration of the trip and remove fragrances and other air fresheners from the car. Strong odors will more quickly provoke an attack of nausea.
– Remember to eat in moderation. Do not overfeed your child before the trip, but do not put hungry in the car either. Offer vegetables or porridge. Avoid fatty, flour, and sugary foods.
– Prepare gingerbread or mint candies, citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, lemon) or pickles for the journey. They help suppress nausea.
– Try special bracelets for motion sickness. Perhaps they will help your child.
– If there are no contraindications to the pediatrician, use medicines. Experts recommend preparations based on dimensionhydrinate (Dramina, Ciel, Aviamarin).
– Think about how you will distract your child during the trip. Take with you a collection of audio stories, children’s songs, or tune in to broadcast yourself in radio mode.
– On the way, do not give your child gadgets and books, it will only get worse.
– Do not accelerate: driving fast will make the symptoms of seasickness worse.
– If there is no sweltering heat, turn off the air conditioner, open the side window.
– Avoid bumps and other irregularities in the road surface. They enhance the motion sickness effect.
– Stop often. Give your child a little walk and some fresh air, then continue on your way.
– If the child complains of not feeling well, stop to prevent a “catastrophe”.
– Well, just in case, arm yourself with special bags for vomit.
It is not only in the car that you can get seasick. On the train, on the plane, on the ship, there is also such a possibility. Here it is worth taking care of the most comfortable place for the child. In airplanes, it is better to plant it near the wing. Try swapping if you get a different seat. On trains, it is important to sit in the direction of travel. And if by the will of fate you and your child are in the boat, he needs to take a place in the center.
And don’t forget about prevention. Sports help to strengthen the vestibular apparatus: acrobatics, gymnastics, dancing, figure skating, swimming. Do exercises with an emphasis on exercises for balance, somersaults. In addition, swinging and even jumping on a trampoline help.