{"id":21604,"date":"2017-12-07T13:11:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T12:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/axkid.com\/6-things-you-can-do-to-avoid-carsickness-for-children-in-rear-facing-car-seats\/"},"modified":"2024-05-28T09:30:23","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T08:30:23","slug":"6-things-you-can-do-to-avoid-carsickness-for-children-in-rear-facing-car-seats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/axkid.com\/ja\/guides-tips\/6-things-you-can-do-to-avoid-carsickness-for-children-in-rear-facing-car-seats\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Things you can do to avoid carsickness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The fear of children getting carsick is often why parents switch them to forward-facing car seats, even though rear-facing ones are proven to be up to 5 times safer. However, carsickness is a sensory conflict between balance organs and the eyes. Some studies suggest certain individuals are more prone to it. So, children can get carsick no matter which way they face in the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Axkid’s 6-Step Guide to Ensuring Your Child’s wellbeing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Sleep<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nausea can be reduced if your child is in a reclined position, relaxed, and closes their eyes. Sleeping is often a quick way to ease the symptoms, as the child is less sensitive to the motion of the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Take breaks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Take regular breaks to stretch your legs and allow your child to get some fresh air. This will significantly help alleviate discomfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Avoid big meals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Before and during the trip, try to avoid eating large meals. It’s better to eat and drink smaller quantities more frequently. Drink water and choose light, easily digestible foods!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Temperature<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ensure you have plenty of ventilation. In the car, make sure the air conditioning is on during hot days. Roll down the window if you need more fresh air. Remove bulky, warm clothing items!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If your child experiences carsickness, reading a book or looking at an iPad may exacerbate their symptoms. Encourage them to look out the window and focus on objects farther away from the car. When your child is in a rear-facing car seat, consider installing a mirror so they can also focus on the horizon ahead of the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
It’s likely that you’ve experienced carsickness yourself while traveling by car. This discomfort, also known as motion sickness, is characterized by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, pallor, sweating, lethargy, and persistent fatigue. But why do we experience motion sickness in the car? To maintain a sense of position, the brain continuously gathers information. Our eyes provide visual cues of movement, while the vestibular apparatus in the inner ear communicates spatial orientation. Motion sickness in a car arises from a discordance between these signals: while our eyes perceive motion, the inner ear detects none. When the brain receives conflicting messages, it often leads to the development of motion sickness symptoms (Zhang, Wang, Qi, Pan, Li & Cai, 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Jelte Bos (2017), an expert in Perceptual and Cognitive Systems at TNO (the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research), babies don’t experience motion sickness until they begin standing up and fully engaging their motion control mechanism. As children grow, the severity of motion sickness tends to increase, peaking between the ages of 2 to 10 years old. Additionally, individual susceptibility to motion sickness varies greatly, with a genetic predisposition noted by Zhang et al. (2016). Therefore, if your child is genetically predisposed to motion sickness, it may occur regardless of the direction of travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, Bos (2017) argues that “If every disadvantage has its advantage, the advantage of motion sickness is likely to encourage adaptation or habituation.” Infants typically travel in a “rear-facing” position, so maintaining this orientation shouldn’t pose significant problems. To illustrate this concept further, consider the “broken escalator phenomenon.” When escalators are not functioning, many people experience an unusual sensation upon stepping onto them, almost resembling a loss of balance or dizziness. Studies have shown that despite being aware of the escalator’s inactivity, individuals tend to step onto it at an unnecessary pace, as if it were operational. This behavior stems from the brain’s reliance on past experiences when the escalator was in motin (Reynold & Brostein, 2003).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally car sickness is a complex problem. It is a natural reaction to an unnatural stimulus that cannot be cured as such. But we can look to alleviate the symptoms. Therefore, if your child suffers from motion sickness, and to travel not only as safe as possible but also as comfortable as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
References:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Bos, J.E. (2015). Less sickness with more motion and\/or mental distraction. Journal of Vestibular Research, Vol. 25, n\u00ba1, pp.23-33.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Bos, J.E. (2017). Motion Perception and Sickness, Eye Movements and Human Performance. Recuperado de http:\/\/www.jeltebos.info\/perception_sickness.htm<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Reynold, R.F. and Brostein, A.M. (2003). The broken escalator phenomenon. Aftereffect on walking onto a moving platform. Experimental Brain Research. August 2003, Vol. 151, Issue 3, pp 301-308.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Zhang, L., Wang, J., Qi, R., Pan, L., Li, M. and Cai, Y. (2016). Motion sickness: Current Knowledge and Recent Advance. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, 22(1), pp. 15-24.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Read more about child safety in the car:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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