The holiday season is in full swing and more and more people are preparing to go on vacation. Perhaps you are preparing for your first trip with your toddler. It is worth knowing how to prepare for it, that holidays will be happy without unnecessary complications. It is important to ensure the safety of the child, starting from what holiday destination choose, which transportation better take to get there and what is the must have in the first aid your child?
Let’s start with the basics – where can you go on holiday with your child? In my opinion – everywhere. (Apart from areas generally dangerous due to war activities or natural disasters). However, you need to adjust the destination to your child’s age and abilities. A two-year-old can have a problem with kilometer-long mountain trails, a small baby will not necessarily use the pool with a slide and the all-inclusive option, and an adolescent can be bored at an agrotourism farm.
Also, in the case of long journeys, it is also worth thinking about epidemiological risks and whether our child can be prepared accordingly (not too young for required/recommended vaccinations, may receive antimalarial prophylaxis, etc.). Generally, before more exotic trips with children, I recommend consulting your doctor’s physician. You should register for such a consultation 4-6 weeks before the planned trip.
Which mode of transport should you choose?
This, of course, depends on the goal we choose. But I would like to raise two issues here – the plane and the car.
You often ask me from what age the child can fly by plane. Theoretically, after the end of one week of life – even newborns do not have absolute contraindications to the flight. Previously, they could have a problem with adapting to changing physical conditions. Besides, most airlines no longer allow younger children on board, and it would be difficult to get documents in less time. This does not mean, however, that I recommend flying the world with a newborn baby! It is not recommended for flights up to 6 weeks of age, but remember that it is not without reason that the first 3 months of life is called “4. trimester of pregnancy “. This is a special period in which the child adapts to life outside, all its systems mature and are much more sensitive to infectious and environmental factors. Therefore, at this time, I would advise against flying by plane. In the case of older infants, while maintaining basic principles and above all common sense, an airplane flight can be comfortable and safe.
To start, the younger and less experienced in flying a child, the shorter the route we should choose. It should be remembered that during the take-off and landing, the child may be able to equalize the pressure in the tympanic cavity – this will help to avoid earache and so-called pain “barotrauma”.
How to do it? Elderly children may be advised to swallow saliva or, for ease, give chewing gum or lollipop. Infants and younger children can be given milk from the bottle or put to the breast. However, pressure changes are not the only risks associated with the flight.
There are infections, too. Unfortunately, during the flight, all passengers breathe the same air because its circulation is closed and it is not difficult to infect other passengers. It is true that airlines in theory in the case of diseases, especially infectious – require passengers to receive medical certificates about the ability to travel, but unfortunately not every passenger is honest and admits to being sick (or sometimes even doesn’t know about infections he is transporting).
This is also the reason why I think that the plane is not a good place for very small infants.
Thirdly – dry air, which dries not only the mucous (which further weakens the protective barrier and increases the risk of infection) but also the skin. Therefore, it is worth the exposure to dry skin spray with a mist of saline or sea salt.
At the end – I do not think I need to remind you to take nappies and clothes for a change for a toddler. Especially if we’re flying into a place with a different climate from the one we’re flying out of. Absolutely not to forget – something to cover, because it’s just cold in airplanes.
Traveling by car seems to be less complicated. I just wanted to remind you that small children should be transported in car seats adjusted to their age, weight, and height. The safest in those rear-facing. However, if you carry an infant in a car seat. baby carrier, where the position is reclining – it is necessary to take breaks if the journey is far away. First of all, the position in such a seat is not healthy for the children’s spine. Secondly, in studies on both full-term and premature infants, it was found that after 1.5-2 hours in such a car seat the saturation drops in infants were recorded – a colloquial way – these children suffered. Therefore, let’s remember, that more or less every 1.5-2 hours stop – you can use this time for feeding or changing diapers.
First aid kit
Before going on vacation, we often wonder what drugs or drugs to take with us – so that during the trip do not look for a pharmacy in a panic. The child’s first aid kit should contain funds for the most common ailments during the trip, and its size and content should depend on where we go. If we travel around our country, where a possible visit to a pharmacy will not be a problem, we can afford to take smaller stocks. When traveling abroad, where the language barrier and a different healthcare organization may make it difficult to find help – it is worth getting better.
What should we always have with us?
- antipyretic / painkillers – fever or pain can arise anywhere and anytime. It is worth having at least one antipyretic drug on hand that is adapted to the age and limitations of our child
- patches and disinfectant – the older the easier it is to have a minor injury during play. If a baby gets hurt or falls over, disinfect and supply it,
- oral irrigation fluid – diarrhea or vomiting may occur especially when traveling abroad due to the differences in the bacterial flora. Also, heat can favor dehydration,
- probiotic – in the case of diarrhea will help to restore the proper intestinal flora
- anti-allergic drug (antihistamine) – even if our child has no known allergy, it may happen that he will be bitten by an insect or some new allergen will cause a rash in him – it is worth having on hand an oral or even gel drug for use on the skin
- medication for motion sickness – if you are planning a longer journey by car with an older child – especially if you have vomited in the car in the past, remember to give something that will alleviate travel ailments. If you do not know which drug to choose – ask your pediatrician
- cream with a filter – a necessity for a holiday trips, but more on this in a new post
- ampules with physiological saline – they do not take up much space, and can be very useful – they will be used to clean the nose in the event of a cold or wash their eyes if they get sand
- repellent – means against insects
- all medicines prescribed by a doctor for your child – make sure that you do not run out of medication during a longer trip, which the child must take.
- the child’s health book.
For a short gateway for Albania and Greece with children, you can some useful tips here.
For another suggestions for traveling with kids, click here.
I wish you all safe holidays and beautiful summer !
