We took our six-year-old daughter on a plane for the first time last year and she suffered from travel sickness. Would you advise that we give her medication to prevent sickness this time? Sam Joseph, Cornwall
Girls tend to be more prone to this than boys. Travel sickness happens when the eyes or ears send abnormal messages to the brain in response to movement.
The area of the brain responsible for sickness is then activated. Most children grow out of this and your daughter might not have the same problem this year.
However, using medication to ward off travel sickness on a one-off basis will help you all to relax and enjoy the journey. Talk to your pharmacist about the most suitable medication for your daughter.
You could try a natural remedy in the form of ginger. There have been some studies recently to indicate that ginger can help to prevent travel sickness although how this works it unclear. A ginger biscuit before the journey might help.
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Hernia dilemma
My daughter is 20 months old and we have been advised that she has a hernia which needs an operation. The hernia has been noticed only by me and an A&E doctor two months ago. She has since been checked by two other doctors who could not feel it. Is the operation necessary? Sofia Ahmed, by e-mail
A hernia happens when part of the intestine protrudes through a hole in the abdominal wall. The most common types in children are umbilical and inguinal hernias. An umbilical hernia happens as a result of a gap in the muscles of the abdominal wall in the navel area. It usually develops a few weeks after birth.
Inguinal hernias occur in the groin area and are more common in boys under the age of one.
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In both cases the intestine can move in and out of the hernia, which may mean that it can escape detection.
Umbilical hernias can disappear of their own accord by the time a child reaches the age of two or three. Surgery can sometimes be needed after this age to repair and strengthen the area of weakness in the muscle wall to prevent the problem recurring. The operation is usually carried out under general anaesthetic. In the case of an inguinal hernia, surgery is usually advised to prevent the intestine twisting and becoming “strangulated”.
There is another less common type — a diaphragmatic hernia — which occurs in about one pregnancy in 1,500. A hole in the diaphragm means that the intestine protrudes into the chest. The surgical procedure to repair the hernia is usually straightforward but children with this condition often have other medical problems.
Discuss your daughter’s hernia in detail with her paediatrician or surgeon who will advise you further on whether surgery is the best option.
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Jane Collins is the chief executive and honorary consultant paediatrician at Great Ormond Street Hospital
OVER TO YOU
E-mail Dr Jane Collins at drjane@thetimes.co.uk or write to her at Body&Soul, The Times, 1 Pennington Street, E98 ITT. Please include your name, address and telephone number. Dr Collins cannot enter into individual correspondence