Motion sickness

What is motion sickness?

Motion sickness -- feeling like you may throw up when riding in a vehicle -- is common among children. It can occur when riding in a car, bus, boat, or airplane, and even when riding on a swing, merry-go-round, or amusement park ride.

Motion sickness happens when the child's brain gets mixed information from different parts of the body -- the inner ear (balance organ), eyes, muscles and joints.

Instead of these organs working together to maintain balance and a feeling of proper position, they are working separately so the child feels that something is not right and a sense of imbalance. For example, this can occur in a small child who is unable to see out the window while riding in the car, or when a child goes below deck while riding on a boat or watches rapid motion on a large movie screen.

The child's inner ear feels motion, but the child's eyes and joints do not. This confuses the brain, and the child may experience symptoms of motion sickness.

Motion sickness tends to run in families and often occurs in children who have migraine headaches. For most children, motion sickness will improve as they get older.

Treatment / What you should do

If your child is showing signs of motion sickness while travelling, take a break if possible.

Stop the car and let your child get out and walk around a little.

Your child may wish to lie down on his back and close his eyes.

When taking longer car trips, you should plan frequent stops along the way.

If your child experiences the symptoms while on a swing or carousel ride, he should stop this activity immediately.

Small children do not understand why they become suddenly ill, and they may therefore become worried. Calm the child and encourage the child to relax.

Do not become angry with your child if he vomits. It is rare that children with motion sickness vomit more than once. If the child feels nauseous, a damp, cool towel on the child's forehead may relieve the symptoms.