MOTION SICKNESS IN CHILDREN
Symptoms: nausea, paleness or “green” tinge to skin, excessive perspiration, vomiting, and anxiety.
Home care
Give the child an anti-nausea remedy recommended by the doctor. Give this medication an hour before a trip and then every four hours during the journey.
Keep the child cool.
Restrict the diet.
Have the child look out the window while traveling. Distract the child with a game during the trip.
Precautions
Some children are more susceptible than others to motion sickness.
Motion sickness is not brought on by the child, and the child can’t control it.
A child who is susceptible to motion sickness will have repeated attacks every time he or she travels.
Car, air, and sea sickness are all forms of motion sickness. Prolonged rhythmic motion up and down or from side to side will make most children nauseated, presumably because the movement affects the balance mechanism of the inner ears. Some children are more susceptible to motion sickness than others; young infants are apparently immune. Motion sickness is not deliberately brought on by the child, nor can the child control it. Susceptible children will have attacks over and over.
Signs and symptoms
Motion sickness is fairly easy to recognize. A motion-sick child becomes nauseated, pale or “green,” and anxious; the child may perspire and vomit.
Home care
If your child suffers from motion sickness, ask your doctor to recommend an anti-nausea medication. Give your child an anti-nauseate by mouth one hour before the start of each trip, and then every four hours during the trip. Dimenhydrinate anti-nauseate tablets or liquid are highly effective and safe. It also helps to keep the child cool and on a light diet before and during the trip. Having the child look out the car window will often eliminate motion sickness. Distracting the child with a game can also be useful.
Precaution
Prolonged motion sickness (over hours) can eventually result in excessive vomiting and dehydration.
Medical treatment
Your doctor’s treatment will be the same as your home treatment unless the child has become dehydrated. Dehydration requires hospital care during which the child is given fluids intravenously.
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Tags: General health