Chapter 13

  1. The Healthy Traveler

299. The ABCs of Traveling with Children


Traveling with children can be very trying–you try to keep them from getting tired, bored, hungry, sick, or lost. Here are a few strategies to help you succeed.

  1. •Make sure your child has had all immunizations required or recommended for travel (see Tip 284).

  2. •Have each child wear an identification tag that includes his or her name, plus your name and home address, phone number where you can be reached, and where you’ll be staying. In airports, add the name of your airline, flights, and departure times. The identification tag should be placed inside (not on the outside) of the child’s garments. Tell your child what to do if he or she gets lost.

  3. •Take along a child-strength painkiller, motion sickness medication, cold preparations, an antibiotic, syrup of ipecac (an antidote for poisoning), and Pedalyte (a medicine that replaces essential body minerals lost due to vomiting and diarrhea).

  4. •Dress your child in loose, comfortable travel clothing and shoes.

  5. •According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, all children need their own seats on airplanes and children younger than age 2 or weighing less than 40 pounds should be fastened in child restraint seats on an airplane. Parents should choose safety seats that are labeled for use on aircraft.

  6. •On long automobile trips, stop every 2 hours and walk around with your child. When flying or traveling by train, take your child for a walk around the coach or cabin.

  7. •Help prevent your child from getting motion sickness by following the guidelines given in Tip 293. Children between the ages of 2 and 12 are more prone to motion sickness than toddlers or teens.

  8. •If your child will be flying unaccompanied by an adult, make arrangements with the airline for an adult to escort the child off the plane.

  9. •Avoid introducing a young child to a lot of unfamiliar foods away from home.

  10. •When traveling in developing countries, repeatedly remind your child about food and beverage safety.

  11. •For more information on safe air travel for children, contact the FAA at 1.800.FAA.SURE (322.7873) or www.faa.gov.