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How appropriate is the bumper sticker that reads, "If a
mother's place is in the home, why am I always in the car?" Here are ways to
make car travel pleasant and safe:
Rules for the Road
Always wear a seat belt yourself and insist that all other passengers do as
well.
Always use a government-approved car seat for infants and young children.
Do not use an infant carrier or an infant seat in a car as a substitute for
a car seat.
Look behind your car. In your haste to make an appointment, you rush into
your car; jam it into reverse, and speed out the driveway, not realizing what or
who could be lurking behind the car. Children love to play around cars. As a
precaution, get into the habit of walking behind your car before entering;
better yet, do a full-circle walkaround. As an added precaution, you can
install an extended rearview mirror that increases your field of vision behind
the car.
Do not use an ordinary travel bed in a car as a substitute for a car seat.
Do not strap two children or a parent and a child into one seat belt.
Never let your baby ride in your arms while the car is moving. Avoid the
temptation to not place baby in a car seat "because we're only traveling a few
blocks."
Do not leave the rear door of a hatchback or station wagon open. This lets
in exhaust fumes, and dangerous objects may come through the open door in a
crash.
Do not allow children to play with sharp objects, such as pencils or metal
toys, while the car is moving. These objects become projectiles if a car stops
suddenly.
Do not put groceries or loose potential projectiles next to baby, or even
loose in the car. Put them in the trunk.
Pregnant mothers should use seat belts. Until your child is born, you are
his or her "car seat." You are protecting two lives. Keep the lap belt below
your uterus, across the pelvic bone, to avoid injury to your baby from the seat
belt.
Keeping Travel Pleasant
Feed and toilet your toddler before the trip. A baby with dry pants and a
full tummy is a more pleasant passenger.
Treat travel like infant feeding: short, frequent trips rather than lengthy
ones. When driving long distances, make frequent pit stops.
Take along musical tapes, old favorites and new surprises. Start the tape
right after buckling baby in and starting the car.
Nonchokable nibbles, (for example, rice cakes) may settle the hungry
traveler. Do not allow the little rider to suck on anything with a stick, like
a lollipop or popsicle, a swerve or an accident could jam the stick into baby's
throat.
Motion sickness results when the
brain receives confusing messages from the senses. For example, when your baby
is buried in the backseat, his eyes see only the stationary seat back, but the
motion sensors of the inner ear tell the brain the body is moving. The
equilibrium center in the inner ear is more sensitive in some babies than
others. Try these stomach settlers:
Plan your route to use straight freeways; avoid going through busy towns.
Frequent stops and starts and winding roads upset tiny tummies.
Travel at naptime. Sleep settles queasy insides. The best time to depart
is just before a nap, so you can hope to arrive at your destination with a
comfortable and well-rested baby.
Tank up baby, but not a full tank. Give baby a light meal before departure
(non-fatty and nondairy foods–cereal, pasta, fruit), and take along stomach-
friendly snacks: cookies, crackers and a cool drink in a carton with a straw.
Tank up the car beforehand. Babies are sensitive to exhaust and fumes at
gas stations.
Provide a seat with a view – babies get carsick if they can't see out a
window – but don't compromise safety for a view.
Play games that keep baby focused on objects far away. Billboards,
buildings, and mountains are much more tummy-friendly during travel than close-
up coloring books.
Fresh air is a tummy rumble's best friend. Open a window on each side of
the car for cross ventilation. Leave your air pollutants (cigarette smoke,
perfumes) at home.
Medications for motion sickness are not recommended under a year of age, but
they may be used safely thereafter. Check first with your doctor to see if
there are medical reasons your child should not to take these. Dramamine is a
safe and effective over-the-counter medication to quell the nausea, vomiting,
and dizziness associated with motion sickness. The dosage for an infant from
one to two years is a half-teaspoon, given a half-hour to an hour before travel;
for the child two to three years the dosage is one teaspoon (five milliliters).
It should not be given more frequently than every six hours. Seasickness
patches (Scopolamine) should not be used on infants.
If you are a cycling family, you can safely
take along the little cycler, but observe these rules of the road:
Always put a helmet on the young passenger, even in a trailer or jogging
cart.
Do not carry infants under six months on a bicycle. They are unable to sit
up and their heads may be too wobbly, especially with a helmet.
Usually between nine months and a year infants are able to sit in a special
child carrier seat that is mounted over the rear wheel of an adult bicycle. Be
sure to use the built-in-safety harness and foot rests that keep the child's
feet away from the spokes.
Ride only on bike paths or safe streets, not in busy traffic.
AskDrSears.com is intended to help parents become better informed consumers
of health care. The information presented in this site gives general advice
on parenting and health care. Always consult your doctor for your individual
needs.
