Blame well-meaning parents for many an infant’s miserable air travel. 
Conventional wisdom says that infants become dehydrated in flight unless you keep pouring fluids into them. Columnists write, “Make infants drink a bottle for every hour in the air.” “Never let a flight attendant pass by without asking for fluids.” “Make them drink, drink, drink.”
In-flight dehydration [...]

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There is nothing novel about infants traveling by air. They have been doing so since time immemorial, long before adults. Legend has it that they were “delivered” by storks, and were never the worse for their trips. Of course, stork flights skimmed rooftops, eliminating concerns of high altitude and accompanying ear issues, dehydration, and excessive [...]

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Tags: Air Travel, Altitude, cabin air, child restraint systems, Ear infections, feeding infants, inflight, nasal allergies, newborn, safe travel, sedation, upper respiratory infections, window seat

Are your children’s vaccinations up-to-date before traveling by air?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in the past year alone there were more than 3,000 known airline passengers traveling while ill with a contagious disease.
 
1. The aircraft cabin environment abets the spread of disease-causing microorganisms.
Infected passengers cough up, sneeze out and exhale these organisms. [...]

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Tags: air travel children, air travel infants, aircraft cabin, CDC, chickenpox, contagious, disease-causing organisms, diseases transmitted, flu epidemics, ill passengers, ill travelers, in flight, infectious illness, influenza vaccination, measles, medical staff, microorganisms, mumps, passengers traveling with disease, pertussis, spreading disease, symptomatic, traveling with infants, typhoid, unvaccinated children, unvaccinated visitors, vaccinated children, vaccination children, vaccine-preventable, yellow fever

Facts about infants/air travel/in-flight comfort/feeding:
(This is an update of an earlier posting – but bears repeating).
Check the top twenty entries on Google regarding infants/air travel/feeding or air travel/infants/health. Nineteen say that you must give infants lots of fluids to prevent them from becoming dehydrated. One entry says that in flight dehydration is a myth – [...]

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Tags: Air Travel, air travel with infants, air travelers, Diarrhea, feeding infants, in flight dehydration, in-flight comfort, infant feeding, infant health, Infants, Kids Travel Doc, kids travel doctor, sweating, Vomiting

Choosing the most effective cold weather clothing for your kids is becoming more of a hassle – ironically, because such clothing is becoming more protective. Some garments, if not used correctly, are counterproductive, actually increasing a child’s risk of experiencing cold-related problems. 
 
Here is what you should know:
 
1. Sophisticated clothing increases perspiration. Modern garments are [...]

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Tags: absorb moisture, cold air, cold weather. cold weather clothing, cold-induced coughs, cold-related problems, cold-water immersion, cotton, diaper, freezing point, garments, gloves, headwear, inner layer, insulation, kids, layers, loose-fitting, middle layer, mittens, moisture, muscular activity, outdoor activities, perspiration, polyester fabric, rain, rapid cooling, scarf, scarves, serious cold-related problems, skin, snow, snow suit, sweating, synthetic fibers, waterproof, waterproof mittens, wet clothing, wick, wind chill, wind chill factor, windchill, windchill factor, young children

Quarantines* and other restrictions on international travel do little to limit the spread of disease, in this case, H1N1flu, when the disease already exists in most countries, says World Health Organization. Nevertheless, public health authorities in some countries, mostly in the Middle East and Asia, are monitoring arriving travelers for symptoms suggestive of H1N1 and [...]

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Tags: Air Travel, anti-flu, anti-flu medication, body aches, bubonic plague, chills, chronic diseases, contagious diseases, cough, Cruise ships, daycare, decontaminating, Diarrhea, epidemic, Fatigue, fever, flu outbreaks, flu season, flu virus, flu-like illnesses, flu-related, H1N1, h1n1 flu, h1n1 for travelers, h1n1 immunization, h1n1 outbreaks, h1n1 related, h1n1 symptoms, hand sanitizer, Headache, hospitalization, immunize, immunized, international travel, meningitis, meningitis vaccination, nasal congestion, nasal swab, pandemic, quaranti giorni, quarantine, rapid nasal swab, school, seasonal flu, self-medicate, sickbay, Sore throat, spread of disease, spread widely, swine flu, tamiflu, temperature scanning, traveler's assistance insurance, traveler's insurance, vaccinated, Vomiting, World Health Organization

There is nothing novel about infants traveling by air. They have been doing so since time immemorial, long before adults. Legend has it that they were “delivered” by storks, and were never the worse for their trips. Of course, stork flights skimmed rooftops, eliminating concerns of high altitude and accompanying ear issues, dehydration, and excessive [...]

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1. Monitor the U.S. State Department advisories on violence. 
These are the most authoritative reports on the subject. Popular resorts that cater to foreigners appear to be safer than cities near the U.S. border.  For the latest information, see: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html  
 
2. Update your vaccinations.
Hepatitis A vaccine, for example, was recently added to the list [...]

Posted in Destinations, Food & Water Precautions, Safe & Healthy Travel No Comments »
Tags: food, Mexico, Spring Break, water

Tens of thousands of American teenagers travel to resorts throughout Mexico over Spring Break each year, says the U.S. State Department. While the vast majority enjoys their vacation without incident, several may die, hundreds will be arrested, and still more will make mistakes that could affect them for the rest of their lives.
Here are Ten [...]

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Tags: Controlled substances, Driving, Hepatitis, Medications, Vacation, Vaccine

A vacation at sea offers families the best of all worlds: seeing foreign countries without the hassle of constant packing; supervised age-appropriate activities, lots of other children and, should you need it, “in-house” medical facilities.
Here’s what you have to know:
1. Bring your children’s medications:
A leading reason for passengers visiting ships’ infirmaries is to obtain medications [...]

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Tags: Cruise ships, Infants, Intestinal illnesses, Medical kit, Medications, Seasickness, Sun exposure, Third world, Toddlers, Tropics, Vaccine