What causes car sickness in children and how can I prevent it?

Answer From Jay L. Hoecker, M.D.

Car sickness is a type of motion sickness. Motion sickness happens when the brain gets conflicting information from the inner ears, eyes, and nerves in the joints and muscles.

Imagine a young child sitting in the back seat of a car without being able to see out the window. Or imagine an older child reading a book in the car. The inner ear senses motion, but the eyes and body don't. This might lead to an upset stomach, cold sweat, tiredness, loss of appetite or vomiting.

It's not clear why car sickness affects some children more than others. Children ages 2 to 12 are especially prone to car sickness. The problem doesn't seem to affect most infants and toddlers.

To prevent car sickness in children, you might try the following tips:

  • Reduce sensory input. Tell your child to look at things outside the car rather than focusing on books, games or screens. If your child naps, it can help to travel during nap time.
  • Carefully plan pretrip meals. Don't give your child a large meal right before or during car travel. If the trip will be long or your child needs to eat, offer a small, bland snack. For example, you could offer dry crackers and a small drink before it's time to go.
  • Give enough fresh air. Enough fresh air or air conditioning might help prevent car sickness.
  • Offer distractions. If your child is prone to car sickness, try to give distractions to help prevent it. For example, talk, listen to music or sing songs.
  • Use medicines. If you're planning a car trip, ask your child's healthcare professional about using an antihistamine medicine you can buy without a prescription. For example, for children 2 years of age and older, dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may be used to help prevent car sickness. Both medicines work best if taken about an hour before traveling. Read the product label carefully to learn the right dose. Be ready for possible side effects, such as tiredness. Antihistamines that don't cause drowsiness don’t appear to work to treat motion sickness.

If your child starts to get car sickness, stop the car as soon as possible. Let your child get out and walk around or lie down for a few minutes with closed eyes. It also might help to place a cool cloth on your child's forehead.

If these tips don't help or if your child's car sickness makes it hard to travel, talk with your child's healthcare professional about other ideas.

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April 19, 2025 See more Expert Answers

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