Children usually feel sick in the stomach when travelling in a car, airplane, boat or train. This sickness is known as motion sickness. This sickness is caused by reception of wrong signals by eyes, muscles, skin receptors, and inner ears.

While travelling, different body parts send different signals to the brain. Eyes see things around and it sends signals about the direction of movement while in motion. The joint sensory receptors and muscles send signals about the movement of the muscles and the position in which the body is. The skin receptors send signals about the parts of the body which are in contact with the ground. The inner ears have a fluid in the semicircular canals. This fluid senses motion and the direction of motion like forward, backward, up, down, circular, or to and fro. When the brain gets timely reports from the various body parts, it tries to find a relation between all the signals and then sketches a picture about the body’s movement and position at a particular instant. But when the brain isn’t able to find a link and isn’t able to draw a picture out of the received signals, the condition called motion sickness is experienced.

For example, if a child is riding in a car and reading something at the same time, the eyes will see stationary book. But the skin receptors and the inner ears will sense the body moving in a forward direction. The eyes and the muscle receptors will send signals that the body is not moving. This confuses the brain and everything is jumbled up in the head. This makes the child dizzy, sick in the stomach and even tired. There is a possibility of the child throwing up, so it is recommended that the parents carry a sick bag each time they are travelling with kids. And if the child is feeling anxious or scared, the condition can deteriorate further.

Although there are medicines available over the counter to deal with motion sickness, some measures should be taken to avoid medicine and also motion sickness. The child should always be made to sit facing in the forward direction. He/she should not face or sit backwards, nor should he be made to sit in a seat facing backwards. This helps the ears and the eyes to send similar kind of signal. It is good if the kid isn’t involved in some kind of activity like reading, playing video games or something which is stationary. He/she must be asked to look outside, especially at things which are located at a distance. The same applies when travelling in an airplane. When travelling in a boat, the child can go to the upper deck and look at the horizon. Basically, the child must be made to concentrate at things which are located at a distance and are in motion. When looking at something stationary, the eyes get confused and send wrong signals.

It also helps to sit in a place which is moving the least. Usually, it is the center point of the body, so the more close the child sits to the center, the better. Like when in an airplane, it is good to sit in seats in the middle aisle and not in those which are located near the wings. If the child is sitting in the center of the boat, instead of the front or the side, the lesser seasick the child will feel. In spite of all these measures if the child is still feeling sick a doctor should be consulted. The doctor checks the inner ears for any defect. He will also check other body parts which are responsible for sensing motion. Apart from medicine, pressure bracelets are also available at the local pharmacy. And along with carrying a sick bag or any other plastic bag, the car can be pulled over and the child should be walked out a bit to feel better.

Sometimes abrasions, cuts and scratches result in dire consequences if they aren’t taken care of at the right time. Children run around the house and drop vases and other glass material, which can result in scratches or cuts. Outdoor activities should be supervised carefully, otherwise abrasions caused by a wall or a rock is unavoidable. There are slight differences among the three and most of the time children get them while playing.

Cuts are caused by sharp objects, which can penetrate into the skin or damage the skin on the surface. Scratches are mild form of cuts. They are also caused by sharp objects such as a piece of glass, thorn or a knife. Even fingernails can cause a scar. Abrasion is caused by friction or rubbing of the skin with a rough surface. Rug burns and board burns are also examples of abrasion, because they are caused by friction.

Also, in all three cases, the wound can bleed.  It bleeds when the tiny blood vessels located underneath the skin gets ruptured. Platelets form clot to stop the bleeding and a scab can also form, which should be pulled out as that will interfere with the healing process of the body. If the bleeding isn’t stopping, the wound should be covered with a soft cloth. After that the wound should be cleaned using lukewarm water and mild soap. Antibacterial ointment should be used to clean the wound and it should be covered with a bandage. The antibacterial ointment helps kill germs. The bandage will prevent bacteria from getting within and prevent the wound from getting bothersome. But the bandage should be changed everyday and the wound should be kept dry.

The good thing is that abrasion, cuts and scratches don’t require any special attention in most cases. But if the scratch is made by animal claws or abrasion is caused by a rusty metallic surface, a doctor should be approached immediately, because the animal could have rabies and the rust can cause septic. Depending on the situation, the doctor would prescribe antibiotics, lotion or even shots. It is also a good idea that parents make sure that their kid is given tetanus shot on a regular basis. Sometimes, the wound won’t be caused in dangerous circumstances, but because of negligence, the wound will get infected by bacteria. If it the wound is infected, it will show symptoms such as redness, swollen skin, and production of puss which can be of the color yellow or either green.

Cuts can sometimes be too deep and even long. In such cases, stitches should be certainly opted for. It is a very simple procedure. The area of the wound is made numb using some kind of anesthesia. It can either be injected or simply applied directly. Then the doctor will sew the cut edges together using certain needle and thread. If the cut isn’t big enough, the cut is sealed using a special kind of glue, instead of the stitches. The glue will hold the edges together so that the skin underneath will heal and over a period of time, the glue will dissolve.  Kids need to check with the doctor every week, so that the doctor will be able to analyze the improvement. And when the wound is completely healed, the stitches are cut open using scissors and then the threads are pulled off gently. In majority of the cases, the wound doesn’t leave behind a scar. This totally depends on the method and effectiveness of the treatment.

Tummy aches are one of the most frequently complained about problems in children. There are many causes attributed with it, and it is a challenge for the parent or the physician to find out the exact problem. Sometimes the pain requires immediate attention and can also be a case of emergency. The causes can be related to food, infections, poisoning, insect bites, etc.

Bacteria and viruses are responsible in case of abdominal pain due to infections. Gastroenteritis and stomach flu are some of the examples of infections that can cause stomach aches. Gastroenteritis is the inflammation and irritation of stomach and the gastrointestinal passage. Extra care must be taken by travelers, as the food and drinks can be contaminated at new locations and can lead to traveler’s getting diarrhea. Stomach pain due to viral infections ward off quickly, but bacterial infections demand the intake of antibiotics. In both the cases, some children recover very fast by vomiting and excreting. In case of diarrhea, excess drinking fluids should be given to the kid to avoid dehydration.

Food related stomach aches can be caused because of food poisoning, gas production, excess food ingestion and food allergies. Problems because of food poisoning are temporary and can cause bloating. Symptoms of food poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and nausea. Usually these symptoms surface within two days of consumption of contaminated food. Depending on the severity chill, fever, bloody stools, or damage to the nervous system can follow. In case of a group of people who consumed the contaminated food, this situation is known as an outbreak. Over two hundred diseases are known to be transmitted via food. Food can be poisoned because of toxic agents or infective agents. Infective agents are parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Toxic agents are uncooked food, exotic foods, and poisonous mushrooms. Food can get contaminated because of handling by unclean workers at the local restaurant, too. Parents should check out the cleanliness and should visit a trusted restaurant.

Particular foods can cause the irritation, such as diary products can cause lactose intolerance. If this is the case, the child is allergic to certain food or drinks and swallowing even a small amount can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, cramping, and skin rash. Since these items are harmless otherwise, such kind of allergic reactions are known as hypersensitivity reaction. Sometimes the symptoms can be life threatening and are known as anaphylactic shock or anaphylaxis.

Poisoning can also be due to overdose of medicines and even due to eating non-food stuffs. Insect bites such as black widow spider bite can also lead to pain in the abdomen. It can be accompanied with muscle cramps, weakness, nausea, tremor, vomiting and in severe case it can cause dizziness, faintness, respiratory problems, and chest pain. Also, the heart rate and blood pressure increases.

In very rare cases, abdominal pain can be due to appendicitis. This is a result of blockage and inflammation of tissues. Young kids have a higher rate if complications are considered and should be immediately rushed to the hospital. The pain starts slowly in the abdomen, specifically near the belly button. The pain shifts slowly to the right side of the lower abdomen within a time period of over twenty four hours.  Clear symptoms are abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, fever and loss of appetite. Diabetes can also be a reason of abdominal pain. Small children usually curl up, cry and express pain through facial expression. Some kids will be reluctant to talk, but the parent should try to get clear explanation of the problem. Along with close monitoring of the symptoms, studying the location of pain, pain duration, nature of vomiting, and urinary problems will help. After that a pediatric should be consulted who can further refer to a gastroenterologist. Until help is reached, the child should be made to relax.
Often, lying with face in downward direction can relieve pain due to gas. Incase of vomiting and diarrhea, fluids should be given constantly. Solid food should only be given when the child is comfortable about eating it.