http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/ci18.asp
CARSICK INFANT
"Please help! Our one-year-old gets sick every time we drive somewhere. It started just after she turned one but before we turned her car seat around. We figured that if we turned the car seat to face forward that would solve the problem, but it hasn't. The car seat is situated in the back seat on the passenger side, as it will not attached properly in the center of the back seat. We don't want to 'medicate' her every time we go to the store, but wouldn't mind doing that for long trips. (For treating carsickness can we use benadryl? -- Isn't benadryl the same as Dramamine?) We need help for our everyday running around short of buying a new car so that we can put the car seat in the center of the back seat?"
Of course, the middle of the back seat is the safest place for a car seat, so anything you can do to put it there would be nice. Also, it can help to look out the front window from the center of the back. Dramamine is safe for 2 year-olds and up. Benadryl is similar (but not the same) and would be safe to try. Check out the Medicine Cabinet for the correct dose. Below are some more tips on dealing with motion sickness. If this becomes a persistent problem, an occupation therapist specializing in sensory integration might be able to help. An OT could test her vestibular system (this is where motion sickness comes from) and possibly show you some exercises to strengthen this system. To find an OT that could do this, visit American Occupational Therapy Association, Sensory Integration Special Interest Section: www.aota.org
What is motion sickness, anyway?
Motion sickness results from a conflict between the eye and ear: the inner ears detect that the car is moving, but the eyes-- focused within the car-- do not. The brain gets mixed signals, and nausea results. Usually your child will first complain that she feels queasy-- allowing some time to fix the situation before actual vomiting starts.
It is easier to prevent motion sickness than it is to stop it once it starts.
Tips to prevent motion sickness in the car:
Focus on the horizon
Encourage your child to focus on a distant point outside the car
Play car games like "I Spy" that get the child to look outside
Bring along books on cassettes or CD's; your child can listen while looking out the window
Limit activities such as reading or playing hand-held video games, where the eyes stay focused within the car
For toddlers in car-seats, position the seat so that the child can see outside
Avoid Rear Seats
Avoid the rear-most seat in a van - kids seem to feel the van's motion more in the rear seat
Facing backwards is to be avoided, too.
Fresh Air
A child on the verge of queasiness may feel better if the window is open
Also, no one should be smoking in a vehicle with kids inside!
Also avoid strong-smelling foods or snacks
Settle the stomach
A child fighting queasiness may feel better if he munches on a dry cracker
An empty stomach is not best for avoiding motion sickness
Avoid greasy and hard-to-digest food
Smoother Driving
The less braking and swaying the better
A suspension system in poor shape can make things worse
FREQUENT STOPS!
Plan enough time on your trip to stop and let your kids get out of the car
Watch for early signs of motion sickness
Make sure to listen, if your child says he's feeling sick or dizzy. Also, pay attention if she loses her appetite, or appears pale or sweaty.
Here are some additional tips:
Peppermints candies. Keep a supply in the car
Ginger snap cookies. Eat a couple before you start the trip and then periodically during the trip.
Avoid reading in the car, particularly on winding bumpy roads. Be sure to keep eye focus mainly to front.
Use Seabands, which are wristbands with a small round metal button that presses into the inside of each wrist. They are tight & work by acupressure. My wife swears by them!
Place the child in the middle of the backseat so they can see out the front, rather than the sides, which can appear as a blur.
Pick a spot as far away as you can see and just focus on that for a few minutes not the road whizzing by.
Breath deep through your mouth, not your nose.
Stick your hand out the window, just a little bit; the fresh air blowing on your hand can help.
Keep an empty large Tupperware containers in the car with a cover, so that in case of an accident, you can re-cover the tub until you reach a place you can empty and rinse it out.
Keep plenty of lollipops on hand
A cool face cloth. The minute someone feels that urge come on, hand them a peppermint and have them place the cool face cloth on their forehead.
An ice pack applied to the back of the neck -- ten minutes on, ten minutes off -- works wonders.
Take Benadryl or Dramamine 1-1/2 hour prior to drive. Don't wait until you are already on the road or it will be too late.
Keep a bottle of Fabreeze to get rid of accident odors
Never travel without a big tub of wet wipes!
Keep an extra change of clothing in the car.
Dr. Jim
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2007033023393...
Does anyone have a recomendation for infant car sickness,my child is one and can not take dramamine yet any su
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Oh, I feel for you! Nothing like driving down the highway with one arm twisted into the back seat trying to catch baby puke in your bare hand.
We found our daughter had a period of car sickness from about 16-24 months. It was better if she didn't eat before a long car trip, we kept the car cool, took off her coat and opened the window next to her about two inches. The fresh air and lower temperature helped a whole lot.
Ginger is easy to make into a tea, if your baby will take that through a bottle or sippy cup. Just a few mouthfuls is all a 1 year old would need. I've also seen ginger lollipops for pregnant women, if your child is coordinated enough to lick that a few times.
1 year ago
Make sure your child cannot see the front windshield. Make sure that he/she only looks out the side windows. This helps tremendously. Also, have them eat something with ginger. Ginger candies (asian stores) or ginger soft drink. it soothes the tummy.
http://www.thebabyhammock.com/c-carsick_kids.htm
How to Help a Motion Sick Child
As the mother of a little girl who suffers terribly with motion sickness on any car ride that lasts longer than about twenty minutes, I have become intimately familiar with the battle cry of "mommy I feel sick!" I've spent countless hours combing the internet, books, and medical journal articles looking for help and have quizzed every adult I know who has suffered from motion sickness about how to help her. Here's what I've learned...I hope that it helps you and your little one.
Motion sickness is the result of the brain receiving conflicting messages from the inner ears (which control balance and equilibrium) and sensory receptors in the body and what the eyes see. The greater the conflict in signals; the greater the chance of distress. For example when a child reads a book, watches a video, or plays a handheld game in the backseat of a car, they feel the motion of the car in their inner ear and body but since her view is focused on the printed page or screen the eyes are sending the message that they are stationary. This conflicting sensory input causes confusion in the brain that triggers nausea, vomiting and other symptoms of motion sickness.
Most doctors say that motion sickness peaks between the ages of 2-12, however it can develop in infancy and some people never outgrow it. If your baby is unusually fussy on long car rides it could be caused by motion sickness. Our daughter had her first episode of vomiting from motion sickness at 10 months old, which is when we realized that her fussiness on car trips was a symptom of feeling car sick.
Each child is different and finding the right combination of therapies is usually a matter of trying different things until you hit on the combination that best helps your child. Remember that motion sickness remedies are most effective if you begin using them before nausea starts rather than waiting until your child is already feeling ill. The following suggestions should help you to find the right combination for your child.
Open the windows. Fresh air seems to help reduce nausea as does keeping the temperature cool. Overheating and stale air seem to worsen symptoms, so crack the windows open as much as the weather allows.
Avoid strong smells. Strong smells can trigger or exacerbate nausea and vomiting. So try to avoid smoke, heavy perfume, exhaust fumes, factory smells etc. If possible use the "recycle" setting on the ventilation system to keep road smells outside. Aromatherapy can sometimes help, you may want try a few drops of natural citrus, lavender or peppermint essential oil on a cloth that can be sniffed as needed.
Stop frequently. Since many kids don't get sick during the first 30minutes or so of a car trip, frequent stops can reduce the likelihood of becoming ill. Be sure to let your child get out of the car for some fresh air and physical activity at each stop. This will help them to get their equilibrium back before getting back in the car.
Sit you child as far forward in the car as their age allows. For children younger than 12 sitting in the first row of rear seats rather than in the back row in a van is usually best. Encourage them to look at cars and scenery out ahead of you or have them look at the horizon. This helps to reduce the conflicting signals between the eyes and inner ear and the rear seats tend to experience the most motion. Try playing some games such as "I spy" or "license plate letter hunt" to keep them to looking out the window and keep their mind occupied. For children over 12 who are big enough to sit in the front seat safely this position should help to reduce motion sickness.
Put your child in an approved car seat or booster. Not only is a car seat critical for your child's safety, but it also helps to prevent nausea by letting them sit up high enough to see out the front window.
Avoid reading or playing video games. Reading, coloring, playing handheld games or even watching videos in thecar can trigger motion sickness or make it worse. Books on CD or games focused outside are a better bet for entertaining your child without increasing nausea.
Eat a light snack before hitting the road. When motion sickness symptoms start one of the things that happens is that digestion slows. Heavy or greasy meals before traveling or along the way can make nausea worse. Starting with an empty stomach may cause trouble too a light healthy meal or snack is likely to be your best bet. Rather than relying on fast food on the road bring healthy snacks such as crackers, fresh veggies, fruit, or cheese sticks.
Bring a cold pack. Placing a cold pack or even a cool washcloth on the back of your child's neck the moment nausea begins to set in can be very soothing.
Try Ginger. Have your child eat a few pieces of crystalized ginger or strong ginger candies before you start the trip and then periodically during the trip. For those old enough to swallow pills ginger capsules can work wonders as well.
Try accupressure bands. BioBands, are adjustable Velcro wrist bands with a small round bead that presses into the P6 acupressure point on the inside of the wrist. BioBands have been shown to be so effective in treating motion sickness (and other types of nausea) that they have received FDA marketing clearance.
Keep plenty of lollipops on hand. Sucking on a lollipop in flavors known to reduce nausea can work wonders and it is one treatment that your child will love! CarSickKids.com carries Queasy Pop Kids which are specially formulated to help relieve motion sickness and also Yummy Earth Organic lollipops in flavors known to ease nausea for those children whose parents prefer organic product and those who cannot eat products containing corn syrup. (As nearly every other lollipop on the market does.)
Be prepared for the worst. No matter what treatments you try it is still important to be prepared for unexpected vomiting. Knowing that they have a safe place to get sick if they need to will help to keep your child calm and will in turn keep everyone else in the car more comfortable as well. Keep a supply of sturdy , leak proof, bags in the car for emergencies, plus wet wipes for cleanups and a fresh change of clothes in case it is needed. The Red E Bag is a perfect solution for unexpected (or not so unexpected) vomiting. It is a reusable sickness bag with disposable, leak proof, liners and space to store the rest of your motion sickness supplies.
CarSickKids.com offers a full range of products to prevent and treat motion sickness. Check out the Motion Siskness Starter Set: a complete self-contained kit that will keep you organized and prepared to help any family member who is prone to motion sickness.
Bio Bands - The only doctor-invented adjustable acupressure bracelets. Unlike restrictive elastic type bands that usually fit too loose or tight, BioBand's adjustable construction fits all wrist sizes properly and comfortably. Its hook and loop closure and solid construction hold up well- even in salt water! More...
Queasy Pop Kids - Developed by healthcare professionals to provide relief from the queasy stomach associated with motion sickness and chemotherapy. More...
Red E Bag - The perfect solution for getting sick in public. More...
Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops all natural with no corn syrup or artificial additives in flavors know to ease nausea More...
Crystalized Ginger - Ginger has been used for centuries to help ease nausea. Our crystalized ginger is made with only fresh natural ginger root and pure cane sugar. More...
Ginger Capsules - for older children and adults who are able to swallow pills this is an easy way to get the nausea quelling benefits of ginger. More...
Motion Sickness Starter Set - This collection of products is just what you need to be prepared for your next trip. Everything you need to ease the misery and keep things clean
I hope you find something that works for your child and even for your husband.Take care.
Linda