Children and car sickness

**hwmabire3** · 02-22-2009, 11:41 AM

My 15-month-old daughter has recently started getting car sick. The first time it happened was a couple of weeks ago. We were going to a book store, and just as we pulled into the parking lot, she threw up.

This morning, we drove 20 minutes to church, but when we were in the parking lot looking for a spot, she threw up. I know it is car sickness because it only happens in the car, and after she throws up everything, she is back to her normal self. She has no fever or anything. Unfortunately, both my husband and I got car sick frequently as children, and I'm afraid we may have passed that on to her.

Is there any way to prevent this? Is there some sort of a natural remedy? Does it matter how much time there is between when I feed her and when we drive somewhere? (This morning, she finished her sippy cup of milk about 1 hour before we left the house.)

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

**frugalbabe** · 02-22-2009, 11:49 AM

I know in some children bananas really aggravate vomiting, our ped. told us to lay off of them for our kids when we are on long trips. It's so hard when their that little because you can't tell them to look at the horizon or whatever. Is she still in a rear facing seat? I think that makes it worse as well. No real advice just hugs I've btdt! I guess just make sure you always have wet wipes and outfit changes for a while.

**never2late** · 02-22-2009, 01:22 PM

My DD, now 19, has always had the same problem. Her solution, and I know it will sound weird, are these pressure-point bands. You can buy them at most drugstores, i.e. Walgreens, and they are usually by the motion sickness pills. They are an elastic band with a plastic knob on one side, that you place on the middle of the inside of your wrist. Supposed this "pressure point" helps motion sickness. I must admit I used them last year on a school trip with her. We were in Boston and went out whale watching. I myself get very sick when I'm out on the water, but I had absolutely no problems that day. I think they cost maybe around $10. DD carries them with her wherever she goes.

**Brookity** · 02-22-2009, 01:24 PM

Did you recently switch her from rear-facing to front-facing? If so, this might be the culprit and I would switch her back to rear facing. It's soooooo much safer and will get her back into a position that might help reduce car sickness. If she is still rear-facing and having this issue, then try installing her seat a little more upright, depending on her carseat, you can install it as upright as 30 degrees. This might help her to see outside the car and might help with the sickness. I have also heard that sea-bands are helpful in this situation too. I'm not sure if I can post a link but car-safety.org has a discussion board where carseat experts can help you come up with a good solution. HTH

**jamie79** · 02-22-2009, 02:51 PM

Yds used to get car sick as a kid. Thankfully they grow out of it. You can buy Dramamine over the counter. Talk with the peditrician about it

**McD** · 02-22-2009, 03:31 PM

When we first switched Wesley from rear-facing to forward-facing , he threw up a few times.

I finally figured out what the problem was, he was in the middle seat in the back of the car. He was getting sick if we had the windshield wipers on, or because we had something hanging from the rearview mirror that was swinging.

**heartofmine** · 02-22-2009, 03:49 PM

My dd is 22 and still gets car sick if she's riding. Our solution is to let her drive...course you can't do that with a 15 month old...at least legally. LOL Anyway when she does have to ride she takes Dramamene.

The only things I can think of is to not feed her right before a trip and maybe giving her some sort of toy that will keep her mind occupied.

**mommy4ever** · 02-22-2009, 03:50 PM

With our daughter, we tried many things until someone recommended ginger. I got some organic ginger at the healthfood store, and I empty a capsule into some milk. She says it's pretty yummy, I think a little sweetened would be even better. And she's fine, she can read in the car, play her game boy, stare out the window, all things that would aggravate her before.

**PrairieRose** · 02-22-2009, 03:53 PM

I tend to get motion sick occaissionally, did often as a child but now use ginger if I need it. It helps a lot.

**gardening momma** · 02-22-2009, 06:09 PM

Our first dd got carsick on long trips. She was fine if I drove all over town, but just 1/2 hour into a longer trip, she'd get sick. I found that in her case milk was the problem. For both daughters, we don't give them any milk on the day of a big trip--anything where we leave for a straight drive going out of town--stop & go all over town is ok.

When we're at a relative's house, preparing to go back home, we remind everyone to not give our girls milk--we usually start reminding the night before.

Unless one of the girls has a stomach virus, the no-milk method works for us. We do usually take an extra precaution and give some Benadryl or Dramamine too, but just for the long trips, not to church or store or such.

**lisettelovebug** · 02-22-2009, 07:08 PM

I get motion sickness when I sit in the backseat for long drives or if I read. I am fine usually when I am in front seat or driving. None of my 3 kids have motion sickness. I had thought that it was because we have always driven a lot when they were small (my parents didn't usually take us on a lot of rides until we were at least 4) but maybe my theory was wrong. Basically I thought there was a correlation between spending a lot of time in a car when really young and not having motion sickness. Oh well.

**HomeschoolMom** · 02-22-2009, 08:08 PM

If you go to any Canadian Tire or auto type store you can buy static strips. I believe they are inexpensive and apparently they work quite well. Basically they attach to the back bumper (or therabouts) of the car and hang down to the ground.

My friends daughter used to throw up every time they got in the car - it was to the point that she had her own vomit cup. Gross, I know. They put the static strips on and that did the trick.

They eventually wear down because they are skimming the ground - you just replace them.

I know that the difference was the static strips for this child because when I took her in my car (no strips) she vomited!

Hope you get it worked out.

**Ivonna** · 02-22-2009, 09:02 PM

My dd gets terribly car sick even for short rides like 15 minutes and she can't ride the school bus because she gets sick from the ride. We found out for her that it is an eye problem. Her horizontal axis are off from each other. Our original eye doctor never found the problem but when we had to change due to our insurance changing, the eye doctor asked if she got car sick. She could do eye therapy for it but they wanted her a bit older before starting (she was 8yrs old when they figured it out). She will be 10 next month and I still have to give her medication if she goes on field trips or we go a long distance. I don't know if they could check for something like this in a child so young or not.