The return of long car trips. On the eve of this major holiday outing weekend, some concerned parents fear that their children are prone to motion sickness, also called motion sickness by scientists. However, some tips should help to avoid this.
Medicines and plastic bag.
The mother, Céline, who lives in La Baule-Escoublac, in Loire-Atlantique, has planned everything for the big departure, while her daughter regularly suffers from dizziness.
“We hang a plastic bag just in case. We also have small bracelets with little balls that go on the wrist, it helps to prevent vomiting,” he wants to believe before the BFMTV microphone, although its effectiveness remains scientifically questionable. “And we also have small medicines,” she adds.
“When I don’t feel well, I open the window,” the girl says again.
Avoid copious meals… and an empty stomach
To prevent dizziness in the little ones, there are some precautions to follow. Before going out, it is better to avoid “abundant meals”, recommends the Ministry of Health. There is no big snack on the program then, but be careful: leaving your child on an empty stomach is not the solution either. Ideally, the child should have had a light meal that is not just liquid.
“In fact, starvation can increase the symptoms of motion sickness,” says Health Insurance.
Before you leave, seat your child, ages 12 and up, in the passenger seat next to the driver, less subject to vehicle vibrations, or in the rear in the center. For others, Health Insurance advises adjusting your child’s seat to allow them to see out, which reduces feelings of nausea.
Go out at nap time
Then try to pull out when traffic is reasonable, which promotes a smooth ride with few hard stops and sudden accelerations that tend to increase motion sickness. If possible, avoid routes that involve a lot of turns.
Another tip: remember to go outside during your little one’s nap times. In fact, nausea symptoms are always less during sleep.
Once on the road, pay attention to the chosen activities. Reading, writing or looking at a screen are activities that require strong visual attention, so these occupations in the car should be avoided. On the contrary, it is better to play games, tell a story or sing a song with your child to distract him in a different way, when he is awake.
Do not hesitate to open the window if the weather allows it so that your child can breathe fresh air. Ameli still advises stopping regularly. They allow children to take a break and stretch their legs for a while.
antihistamines
As for the so-called commercially available anti-vomiting bracelets, used by Céline, no scientific study proves their effectiveness. Laurent Halwani, a doctor of pharmacy, does not offer it for sale in his store but recommends several medicines.
“We will initially use everything that is herbal, mainly to play relaxation,” he explains to BFMTV.
“Une fois qu’il already veritably a mal des transports qui s’installe, on va avoir recours à des antihistaminiques de classe 1 qui vont permettre de tout de suite neutraliser et de traiter cet effet de mal des transports”, ajoute-t – He. They are available without a prescription for children ages 2 to 6 years and older, depending on the dosage.
If, despite all these tips, dizziness persists or your child’s nausea is accompanied by fever or dizziness, do not hesitate to take him to the doctor so that he can give him the appropriate treatment. The patches are mainly available by prescription, but only from the age of 15, according to Vidal’s drug dictionary.
In case of vomiting, do not forget, in a second step, to give your child salty or sweet drinks so that he does not suffer from dehydration.
Source: BFM TV
