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Home › Articles › Traveling with Children › On an Airplane with a
3- to 9-Month-Old

On an Airplane with a
3- to 9-Month-Old

Air Travel with Older Babies

By Alexandria Powell

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

  • Pacifiers, if your baby likes them. Babies need to 'pop' their ears by swallowing during takeoff and landing. If your baby doesn't want to be fed, a pacifier can help.
  • As many small, new toys as you can bring along, especially if your baby is at the older end of this age range.
  • Food – Baby's food, that is. "Your baby can't eat the peanuts and pretzel nuggets offered in-flight, so be sure to bring a nice assortment of her favorite snacks and drinks," Dr. Sears says. While liquids are generally no longer allowed on board, passengers traveling with babies can bring formula, breast milk and electrolyte replacement drinks.
  • Anything else you think your baby will need.

    • Whatever you bring, expect delays and complications. Build extra time into your travel schedule to allow for them.

    Safe and Snug

    You may be concerned about the chances that you or your baby will catch a bug on the plane. However, according to Dr. Michael Zimring, director of the Center of Wilderness and Travel Medicine at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore and co-author of Healthy Travel: Don't Travel Without It! (Basic Health, 2005), the risk of catching something is small. Risk is related to the length of the flight, and to your proximity to any person with a contagious illness.

    To boost the odds that you and your baby will stay healthy while traveling, Dr. Zimring recommends taking these simple steps:

    • Be as well rested as possible before flying.
    • Make sure both you and your child stay well-hydrated. Airplane air has a humidity of only about 8 percent, which can quickly cause dehydration – and depressed immune systems.
    • Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands frequently, and use hand sanitizer as needed.

    Finally, keep in mind that your 3- to 9-monh-old probably spends most of her time putting her hands in her mouth – when she's not chewing on other surfaces! "When you get on the plane, wipe down all the surfaces around your baby with antibacterial wipes; the tray table, the hand rests – anything that might get chewed on," Dr. Sears says.


    Pages:  1  2  3  4  

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