|
|
|
We frequently see patients for visits before foreign travel and specific recommendations can vary by destination. If you are traveling it is important to schedule a consultation at least 1 month prior to travel, because vaccinations often require a few weeks before they become effective. Information about different destinations and what vaccines may be recommended can be obtained by looking at the travel webpage of the CDC. You can also learn more about travel vaccines from Dr. Fineberg's website - Vaccinecheck.com.
However, there are general recommendations that can be important no matter
where you are traveling - even inside the United States. While
people frequently think about infectious disease as the major risk of
travel, car accidents are actually the leading cause of injury for
travelers. This is because many buses and cabs may not have
seatbelts and kids may not have proper carseats. When traveling be
sure to bring or rent carseats and make sure seatbelts are used.
Also for kids who take medicines regularly or in certain situations, it is
important to bring along a sufficient supply. This includes allergy
medicines and asthma inhalers as these conditions may become exacerbated
in foreign locations. For children with medical illness, the
proximity to medical care when traveling should be considered. Get
dental care prior to travel as hepatitis and HIV may be spread through
dirty instruments. Find out if your health insurance is valid abroad
or else consider travel insurance.
When traveling with small children on an airplane it is important to bring along extra supplies as delays may occur unexpectedly. Also, be sure to bring your important items in carry on baggage in case your luggage is lost. If possible, a bulkhead row or aisle seat can provide extra space for restless kids. Especially during takeoff and landing, chewing gum may help prevent ear discomfort in older children. For infants and toddlers, breastfeeding or sucking on a bottle or sports bottle may help ear pressure. Benadryl® can be sedating to most children but in some kids can instead cause hyperactivity - if you are considering using this medicine for travel, a test dose during the week prior to departure may be a good idea. At your destination, make sure to childproof hotel rooms as you would your own house - make sure outlets are covered and any medications or cleaning products are secure. While hotel windows in the U.S. usually can not open far enough for a child to fall out, this is not necessarily true in other countries. Bring extra diapers, and if you use cloth diapers, it is recommended to iron them after they are washed to prevent getting flies in them. When in the sun, make sure to wear sunscreen (for children 6 months and older), hats and protective clothing. Avoid bare feet and open shoes to avoid getting cuts or parasites and avoid swimming or bathing in fresh water where you can catch infections. Counsel adolescents about avoiding risky behaviors which may be easier to come by in other locations (including sex, drugs, guns, fireworks, risky sports, body piercings, tattoos).
In areas where malaria is present (see the CDC website and schedule a
travel visit), mosquito protection is crucial. Your doctor may
prescribe preventive medication, but the best protection is to avoid
getting mosquito bites. Wear long sleeves and long pants as much as
possible and use bed nettings (newer bed nettings allows better air
flow). Avoid swampy areas and avoid being out as much as possible
during dawn and dusk hours when the mosquitos are most active.
Insect repellants with DEET (30% concentration is recommended, DEET is not
recommended for children under 1-month-old) are also
important (avoid putting on kids hands lest it end up in their mouths,
wash it off when then come inside and be aware that it will make sunscreen
less effective so sunscreen will need to be applied more often).
Travelers diarrhea can occur and the best prevention is to make sure foods are cooked, boiled and peeled properly. Safe liquids include breast milk (for infants of course), bottled water, carbonated drinks, coffee, tea and water that has been filtered or iodinated. Make sure to wash your hands! If your child develops diarrhea, oral rehydration solution (ORS) is readily available and cheap in all countries in the world (except the U.S.) and is very useful to treat and prevent dehydration. Rice based ORS (Ricelyte) may even shorten the length of illness. Give these fluids slowly and frequently if needed. However, if your child develops significant diarrhea, getting medical care locally is important.
So when traveling, be like the boy scouts and be prepared! A medical kit for traveling may include the following items:
By thinking ahead, you can avoid traveling pitfalls and make sure that you enjoy your trip! |
