The Travel Clinic: The Special Traveller: Kids

The Special Traveller: Kids

Some would argue that if a child is too young to remember a trip years down the road, then leave her at home. But if you are reading this chapter, you probably don’t agree! Traveling with children presents its challenges, but with a bit of extra planning and patience, it can be the best experience.

Why are they different?

They are usually smaller than their parents.
They may not understand all of the rules like “don’t eat that”, “stay away from the electrical outlet” and “leave the dog alone”.
Their endurance, desires and culinary preferences will be different than yours.
In the case of VFRs (see Chapter ), they are often high risk travelers.
They may be too young for certain vaccinations.
They tend to get sick more often, more quickly and sicker than adults.

How can you minimize the risks and your stress?!

Plan ahead. What supplies will I need? Do I need to take a car seat? Diapers? Baby foods?
Take along plenty of things to keep the kids happy ...books, dolls, games, batteries ...
Ensure that his or her identification papers are in order. If you are traveling as a single parent, a legal document signed by the non-traveling parent should be obtained.
If you will be traveling far from good medical care, learn how to recognize and treat common medical conditions that may arise in your children, and carry adequate medications and supplies.
Consider MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine for children between 6-12 months of age if you will be taking the baby to a lesser-developed country.
If you will be spending a longer time in Africa, India or Southeast Asia, consider pre-exposure vaccination against rabies for your children. Teach them to stay away from dogs!
Try the Emla® patch to minimize the pain of the injections. Keep your teenage kids well fed and not too warmly dressed before their shots!
Keep your kids from getting insect bites.
With respect to antimalarials, mefloquine (Lariam®) is usually well tolerated in kids as long as it is taken with lots of food and water. Malarone® may cause mouth ulcers, especially in children with braces! Doxycycline is probably best reserved for adults.
Kids get sicker with Traveller’s Diarrhea. The choice of antibiotic for more serious diarrhea in those 16 and under is Zithromax® (azythromycin). See Chapter .
Kids are more prone to motion sickness. See Chapter .
They may also get altitude sickness, though they may be less likely to complain about it.
Make sure the environment where you are living is safe. Take a night light for small children, and outlet covers to use in hotel rooms. And don’t forget the sunscreen!




Home About us Appointments Before you go While you're away After your return The special traveller Inflammatory bowel disease Immunosuppressed traveller The pregnant traveller Chronic medical conditions Travelling to adopt The Business Traveller Kids Visiting Friends and Relatives Women's issues Travel quotes FAQs Contact us	The Special Traveller: Kids Some would argue that if a child is too young to remember a trip years down the road, then leave her at home. But if you are reading this chapter, you probably don’t agree! Traveling with children presents its challenges, but with a bit of extra planning and patience, it can be the best experience. Why are they different? They are usually smaller than their parents. They may not understand all of the rules like “don’t eat that”, “stay away from the electrical outlet” and “leave the dog alone”. Their endurance, desires and culinary preferences will be different than yours. In the case of VFRs (see Chapter ), they are often high risk travelers. They may be too young for certain vaccinations. They tend to get sick more often, more quickly and sicker than adults. How can you minimize the risks and your stress?! Plan ahead. What supplies will I need? Do I need to take a car seat? Diapers? Baby foods? Take along plenty of things to keep the kids happy ...books, dolls, games, batteries ... Ensure that his or her identification papers are in order. If you are traveling as a single parent, a legal document signed by the non-traveling parent should be obtained. If you will be traveling far from good medical care, learn how to recognize and treat common medical conditions that may arise in your children, and carry adequate medications and supplies. Consider MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine for children between 6-12 months of age if you will be taking the baby to a lesser-developed country. If you will be spending a longer time in Africa, India or Southeast Asia, consider pre-exposure vaccination against rabies for your children. Teach them to stay away from dogs! Try the Emla® patch to minimize the pain of the injections. Keep your teenage kids well fed and not too warmly dressed before their shots! Keep your kids from getting insect bites. With respect to antimalarials, mefloquine (Lariam®) is usually well tolerated in kids as long as it is taken with lots of food and water. Malarone® may cause mouth ulcers, especially in children with braces! Doxycycline is probably best reserved for adults. Kids get sicker with Traveller’s Diarrhea. The choice of antibiotic for more serious diarrhea in those 16 and under is Zithromax® (azythromycin). See Chapter . Kids are more prone to motion sickness. See Chapter . They may also get altitude sickness, though they may be less likely to complain about it. Make sure the environment where you are living is safe. Take a night light for small children, and outlet covers to use in hotel rooms. And don’t forget the sunscreen!