Most of us dream of traveling. To most of us, the lure of exotic and distant destinations is a siren call! But wait! Having kids quickly brings a sobering touch and pulls us back to reality. Before we plan a trip, we need to make sure that we are fully prepared to identify when our child has a problem and then ensure that there are medical facilities on hand that will help us deal with the situation that arises.

The degree of preparedness will vary, depending on many factors:

• • Age of the child: Infants and toddlers have different problems than young children and teenagers.

• • Your destination: what medical facilities are available at the location you plan to visit?

• • Are you traveling in a group, or are you traveling alone? If you travel with a well-organized company, the company will likely have contingency plans for emergencies, including children. Of course, you need to discuss this with them beforehand.

• • What is your mode of transport? Flying, driving, or sailing has peculiar hazards; you must take the necessary precautions.

While specific advice may vary depending on your situation, here are some general measures you should adopt whenever you travel with children.

• • Food:

    

    Children are notoriously picky, especially if you encourage picky eating habits. Of course, infants require their particular food. If the child is being breastfed, there is no problem; otherwise, you must carry appropriate food for your children.
    Remember, especially if you are visiting destinations with different cultures and foods, that you may have difficulty adjusting to the food, and it is more than likely that children will have a hard time. It is best to encourage all in the family to be familiar with the type of food that you can expect at the destination that you are going to and start getting acclimatized to that type of food while you are at home.

• • Clothing:

    You should pack with you an adequate amount of clothing that is both age-appropriate and appropriate for the climatic conditions of the location that you are visiting. If you spend significant time outdoors, remember to carry long-sleeved shirts/tops and lowers covering exposed extremities. Insect bites are common and bring with them the risk of illnesses like malaria, dengue, Japanese Encephalitis, and other diseases.

• • Medicines

    

    It would be best to carry medicines to relieve common symptoms. Please make sure you have the following medications with you:

    • • • Paracetamol for fever.

        • Simple cough syrup for symptomatic cough relief (only for kids over five years of age).

        • Oral rehydration solution: in case your child should get diarrhea
          

        • Medicines to prevent vomiting, like ondansetron or domperidone.
          

        • Medicines for travel sickness like hydroxyzine (also good for allergies).
          

        • First aid kit: should include bandages, gauze pieces, antibiotic ointments (Betadine or T-Bact), cleaning antibiotic solutions (Betadine), and adhesive tapes (Micropore 1″).
          

        • Abdominal pain (symptomatic relief only): dicyclomine.

    • Please schedule an appointment with your doctor to determine whether your child’s medicines have the right trade name and dosages. Different brands of the same medication have different strengths, and an inappropriate dose may be administered if medicines are substituted. 

• • Common Sense

    A healthy dose of it! While it is good to be cautious and take preventive action, there is no point in being hyper about what might happen. The intention is to have fun on your holiday and take a relaxed break.

• • Things to keep your child occupied

    If you have planned a long trip, ensure you carry enough variety (children have very poor attention spans) of stuff to amuse your child. While most parents take it as a license to carry with them a Playstation or X-box or the like, do remember that these are addictive, teach children no social skills at all, and many times expose them to a shocking amount of violence and sexual innuendos that the unsuspecting parents would never have allowed. Since you will spend so much time together, why not bond with your children by reading, telling them a story, or playing games?

• • Vaccines

    You may have to comply with vaccine requirements depending on where you travel, internationally or domestically.
    Most immunizations must be given a month before travel.
    

    • • Domestic Travel: No particular vaccines are required in most areas. However, getting the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine may be wiser in some places, like sub-Himalayan regions.
    • • International Travel: Different countries have different requirements. For example, you must take the Yellow Fever vaccine in most Africa and South America. Other countries require you to carry certification for various vaccines. Do check with your travel agent or at our clinic (we have a list of the requirements).