THE HSE has revealed its top six ways to help Irish parents prepare for motion sickness when travelling with children this summer.
Get a smooth, safe break this year as the healthcare provider has released its leading advice for parents.
With the start of summer holidays approaching, HSE child health experts have shared top tips to help parents.
The information aims to help parents prepare to keep their children safe over the coming months.
As some kids might be out of their usual childcare or school routine or in less familiar places on holiday or visiting relatives.
This can mean they might be exposed to risks they wouldn’t normally encounter on a regular basis.
But there are some things parents can do to help make sure children have a fun, relaxing and exciting time over the summer months, while also staying safe.
HSE National Clinical Lead, Child Health Public Health Dr Abigail Collins, shared her two cents on keeping kids safe during the holidays.
How to prevent motion sickness in kids
Travel or motion sickness is caused by repeated movements when travelling. For example, going over bumps in a car or moving up and down in a boat.
Early morning starts or departing just after food can also make children feel worse when travelling, so just remind yourself of when your child has felt unwell and try to organise the travel to make it a more comfortable experience for the whole family.
During the journey, try to:
- Reduce motion if possible – for example, sit them in the middle of a boat, and avoid placing them in the back row of seven-seater cars near the wheel
- Distract them by talking, listening to music or singing songs – encourage them not to read, watch films or use screens
- ask them to look straight ahead at a fixed point, such as the horizon, instead of moving objects like passing cars or rolling waves
- Breathe fresh air if possible – for example, by opening a car window
- encourage them to close their eyes and breathe slowly while focusing on their breathing
- Break up long journeys to get some fresh air, drink water or take a walk
- You can also talk to a pharmacist about particular remedies to help prevent or relieve the symptoms of travel and motion sickness.
She said, “At home, we are often more aware of the potential dangers, but with good weather, we might be spending more time outdoors or in less familiar places.
“Children are naturally curious, so it’s good to be aware of some of the steps you can take to help keep them safe over the coming weeks, whether it’s in the garden, park, visiting another home or on holiday.
“This includes thinking ahead to the potential risks such as unsupervised access to a balcony or swimming pool, or going to a family member’s home which hasn’t been childproofed.
“And with warmer weather here or overseas, it’s important to take steps to prevent heat exhaustion and sunburn.
“Parents can find advice on a wide range of topics on the HSE’s mychild.ie website, to help keep children safe and healthy during the next few months.“
The healthcare organisation have revealed the most important thing is to always supervise your child at all times.
It was also advised to think ahead when visiting new places, especially when going somewhere new with your child.
For example, a relative’s home might allow your child easy access onto a balcony or a busy road or when abroad be careful of access to pools.
Heat stroke and exhaustion
Although, children do not sweat as much as adults they find it harder to stay cool. When it’s hot, you should make sure that babies and children drink enough fluids.
Children’s bodies heat up much faster than adults’ bodies. This is why children are more at risk of heat stroke.
To help prevent heat exhaustion or heatstroke:
- drink plenty of cold drinks, especially when exercising
- take cool baths or showers
- wear light coloured, loose clothing
- sprinkle water over skin or clothes
- avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm
- avoid extreme exercise
It’s also important to think about water safety as summer holidays might mean opportunities to splash and swim in local lakes or beaches, or swimming pools here or abroad.
To keep children safe from water outside there are many things you can do including:
- Empty, store upside down, fence off or safely cover anything that can collect water. This includes ponds, barrels, water troughs, buckets and basins.
- Never leave a child alone in a paddling pool.
- Empty paddling pools after use and store them so that they cannot fill with rainwater.
- Be aware of puddles – remember children can drown in small amounts of water.
- Never leave children alone on a farm. Fence off exposed areas on farms, including slurry pits.
- Teach your child to swim when they are at the right age. But you should still always supervise a child in and near water. You should do this whether they can swim or not.
Poisoning is most likely to happen to children age one to four years, with lots of ordinary household products being poisonous including dishwasher tablets, plant feed, batteries, room fresheners including liquid reed diffusers, plants, and essential oils.
Top 5 ways to keep your kids SunSafe this summer
Follow the Healthy Ireland SunSmart 5 S’s to protect your children’s skin:
- Slip on clothing that covers your skin, such as long sleeves and collared t-shirts.
- Slop on sunscreen: Use sunscreen with SPF 30+ for adults and 50+ for children which provides high UVA protection and is water-resistant. Reapply regularly.
- Slap on a wide-brimmed hat.
- Seek shade: Sit in the cover of trees to avoid direct sunlight. Use a sunshade on your buggy or pram. Keep babies and children out of direct sunlight.
- Slide on wraparound sunglasses.
You can reduce the risk of poisoning by keeping products out of your child’s reach and sight.
For more information on how to keep your kids safe this summer, visit the HSE’s Mychild.ie.
