Traveling by car with children: seven tips from pediatricians to have a happy trip

Long trips by car are usually tired for everyone, but especially for the little ones, unable to understand why they have to go in a child seat without freedom of movement. What father has not had to listen to the dreaded phrase "Still a long way?"?

But they not only get bored, they also get dizzy. Hence, parents, in addition to ensuring that they travel safely in a child seat approved and installed correctly, we must ensure that they are as comfortable and entertaining as possible.

Y, To facilitate road trips, pediatricians of the Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics (AEPap) give us seven key tips.

1. Light feeding

The pediatrician María Jesús Esparza, spokesman for primary care of the AEPap, advises giving children light and easily digestible foods, the most appropriate to prevent them from getting dizzy.

They can be given bread, cheese or fruit as they are easy to transport foods.

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2. Offer only water

To hydrate children you always have to give them water. No soft drinks or sugary drinks, including juices.

Pediatricians totally advise against them because of the amount of sugar they have and because they affect teething.

3. Well hydrated

Children should be given water frequently in small quantities, especially during the summer when it is very hot.

In summer, the heat causes the body temperature to increase, which is regulated by sweat and that loss must be replaced to avoid dehydration.

Babies and young children are more likely to suffer from it because the percentage of water in their body is higher and thirst regulatory centers are not yet mature.

Because it is essential to keep them constantly hydrated, even before they are thirsty, since when we feel the need to drink water, we have already lost between one and two percent of body water. Luckily, when you drink water, your blood mineral concentration returns to normal and you feel better.

4. Approved baby carrier

The baby carriers approved with the i-Size standard with baby reducer from 40 cm or the reclining baby carriers offer more comfort and safety for the infant, since the column carries it more extended. Hence, they are the most recommended for long trips.

5. The chair, in the central seat of the car

Placing the child in the center seat of the car also reduces the possibility of getting dizzy. This is because in that place you can go looking at the landscape in front of you.

Although the effects of dizziness are reduced in the passenger seat, the AEPap recommends not using it until the child is over 1.5 meters tall.

6. Pure air

It is also essential that the interior of the vehicle is ventilated, occasionally opening the windows, maintaining a cool temperature and protecting the windows with parasols, if the windows are not tempered.

You also have to avoid smoking inside the car when children are traveling and driving smoothly, especially when driving through a cornering area.

7. Frequent breaks

They are essential not only for the driver, but also for the occupants, especially if they are children. Pediatricians advise making stops whenever necessary, so that children go to the bathroom, stretch their legs and run through a safe area.

Remember that when getting out of the car, children should always do it on the side of the sidewalk.

And finally, the AEPap recommends advancing the breaks, at most every two hours, in case of traveling with babies in a child retention system of the Group 0+. It is important to remove the child from his child seat so that he can stretch his spine.

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