Why do young childrens (0-7 years old) always vomit in car?

Post Reply New Topic

My dad got a new GF who got a 6 year old daughter and she keeps vomiting when we take her for a ride. Her mom says it curiously only happens when she is in my dad's car. Any idea why (I mean why kids vomit in car in general, not the little girl in particular).

Some children are affected by motion sickness. This can be worsened if they are exposed to stuffiness or bad smells.

I'm an adult who's always gotten motion sick. Usually not to the point of throwing up.

It has to do with the difference in what your brain sees inside the car (static unmoving scene) and what your body feels (a moving car) and sees when looking out )scenery flashing past).

Could be that the car in question doesn't let her see out enough so she's stuck looking inside the car which confuses her brain and makes it react as if she's taken something poisonous that affects her vestibular (?) system.

I'm no scientist, just what I've read/experienced.

Mine will be 4 in a few days and has never gotten sick in the car.

I suffered from motion sickness when I was little, but never to the point of vomiting in the car. They should ask the kid's doctor. Maybe there is some kind of meds she can take for that.

Is your dad an uneven driver? (speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down)
That always makes me feel icky if I'm in the back seat.

ETA: the smell of a new car or some air fresheners makes me nauseas too.

When I was very young I used to get motion sickness very easily whenever I was in a moving vehicle. I would sometimes throw up as a result. I eventually got used to cars and so this is no longer a problem. I think the movement of a car confuses or stresses the body somehow, resulting in motion sickness. Some people experience more stress over this than others. As children get older, that usually adapt to this.

Looking back, I often wonder to what extent motion sickness and dizziness is associated with Aspergers and/or autism. Some say it's an important symptom, some say it isn't.

Cozysweater, thank you for bringing up the part about the new car and air freshener smells. Those make me quite sick as well, and I think it's amazing people don't realize how toxic they are.

Yup, I agree that motion sickness is the culprit here. I notice that motion sickness tends to worsen if the kid hasn't slept enough. Of course, if the driver is driving too fast, the kid might feel uncomfortable. I think that the kid can eat something light like a sandwich since motion sickness often strikes when one is too hungry or too full. If you like, you can keep some mints on the car. Whenever I feel like puking, I go suck on a mint. It usually works.

I always have motion sickness and im 14

The human body was not meant to go so fast. As we get older we adapt though. Electrical charge is a factor not mentioned here yet. Most vehicles are not grounded, being seperated from the Earths natural negative charge by rubber. Does the car have one of those strips off the back?

Your car stinks. That's why. Children are sensible to odours just like Dogs and Cats I'm told.

I had motion sickness a lot when I was a kid and still do now. I don't throw up any more but I feel like I might.

Car sick!

My daughter is almost 6yrs and has never had motion sickness. But, I used to get it a lot and would throw up and still get it from time to time. I can't read in a car, I have to just watch out the window, not at things inside the car. Maybe kids are more likely to be looking at book, toys or games machines. This should be discouraged in a child prone to motion sickness.