Travel or motion sickness

My family is planning a reunion, and it’s a four hour drive to get to the resort. My three month old baby has never spent much time in the car, other than quick trips to the shops or clinic. Since I am very prone to travel sickness I was wondering if my baby will also suffer from it, and what I should do about it.

The key to understanding any sickness is to understand the underlying factors that contribute to the cause, in this case motion sickness.Young babies can suffer from motion sickness, very distressing for both baby and for mom. The experts are divided as to whether it’s hereditary or not.

Causes
Nausea results in about 33% of people, when the brain receives different messages from the inner ear (sensing motion, acceleration and /or gravity), the eyes (vision), and the deeper tissues of the body surface. Experts are still divided as to whether it’s hereditary or not.

Early detection signs of motion sickness
Yawning restlessness
Producing lots of saliva or dribbling
Drowsiness
Nausea
Headaches
Dizziness
Tiredness
Vomiting

Prevention methods
Travel during baby’s naptime

• Drive smoothly at an even speed, avoid swaying, braking profusely.
• Fresh air helps; open a window or air vents to allow air to flow through the car . No smoking or strong smells!.
• Play a game to get baby to focus outside the car on the horizon far away – avoid the time that. your baby spends looking down into her lap. (This will help you too if you’re prone to car sickness).
• To settle the stomach, let your infant munch on a dry cracker.

References
Hromatka*, Bethann S., Tung, Joyce Y., Kiefer, Amy K. Do, Cuong B., Hinds, David A., & Eriksson, Nicholas., 2015. HMG Advance Access published January 26, 2015. Genetic variants associated with motion sickness point to roles for inner ear development, neurological processes, and glucose homeostasis, 1, 2-3.

Dr Jim. 2016. . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.askdrsears.com/news/sears-family-blog/carsick-infant  [Accessed 08 March 2016].

Motion Sickness | BabyCenter. 2016. Motion Sickness | BabyCenter. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.babycenter.com/0_motion-sickness_1744740.bc.  [Accessed 08 March 2016].

Travelsickness12. 2016. travelsickness12. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.contentedbaby.com/travelsickness12.html . [Accessed 09 March 2016].

See also:
Car Seat – Correct size
Car Seat – Fitting the seat
Car Seat – Front or back of car
Car Seat – Is is compulsory
Car Seat – Keeping baby happy
Car Seat – Resistance from baby
Car Seat – Safety tips
Car Seat – Safety