Traveling with Baby! By Dr. Hillary S. Lewis

One of the most common questions we get around the holidays is regarding traveling with children. We know that traveling is a wonderful opportunity for children. Whether it involves spending time with extended family, visiting new places, or learning about different cultures, travel can enrich the lives of our children. Accordingly, we want to help all of our families have a safe and special travel season!

The two considerations are logistics and safety.

Logistics mostly depends on the family’s preferences—flying vs. driving, buying a plane ticket for your baby vs. having them sit as a “lap child.” Regardless of what plans your family makes, ensuring that your children are safe during travel is the primary priority.

Safety is the most important thing! We have included a few notes about ensuring that your family is safe this holiday season.

• NEWBORNS – Newborns and infants under 2 months of age are a unique population of patients because minimizing germ exposure is especially important. This is because fever or other illness can be more serious in this age group. However, this does not always preclude travel. Newborns often travel well on car rides! For airplane travel, the most important thing is preventing other passengers from coughing or sneezing on your baby. This can be done several ways—by “baby wearing” or leaving your young infant in his/her carseat. Ultimately, having a plan is key—this means that you (as a parent) know when and where to go if your young baby is sick.
  
  
• CAR SAFETY – For car travel, be sure that your child’s carseats and/or booster seats are appropriate. Children under 2 years old should all be rear facing. Toddlers over 2 years of age and preschoolers should all remain in forward facing car seat for as long as possible, until they reach the height or weight limit by the carseat manufacturer. School aged children should be in a booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits them properly, which usually occurs when kids are 4 feet 9 inches tall.
  
  
• AIR TRAVEL – Ear pain during air travel is common. This occurs because cabin pressure can change during takeoff and landing. The “popping” sensation happens when the pressure in the middle ear “equalizes.” Minimizing ear pain during takeoff and landing can be done in many ways—by allowing babies to nurse, suck on a bottle or pacifier, or having older children chew gum.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!

Hillary Lewis
MD, FAAP

Dr. Lewis is a Dallas native, who graduated from Highland Park High School, Baylor University and the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She completed her pediatric internship and residency training at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. She was selected to serve as Chief Resident for the 2011-2012 academic year.

She is honored to serve the Dallas community and believes that educating parents and families is fundamental to the healthy growth and development of children.

Dr. Lewis met her husband, Dr. James Lewis, in medical school in Houston and he is a Sports Medicine physician. She enjoys running and spending time with her family and her three children. When she is not in clinic, you can find her at a baseball tournament with her son or a cheer competition with one of her girls!

Playground Safety 

Going to the park or playground? Make sure to consider the condition of the equipment. A recent study by the AAP of playgrounds in Chicago showed one third to one half failed safety inspections¹. The inspection included age appropriate design, ground surfacing, equipment maintenance and physical environment.¹ 

Slides

• Plastic sides are better than metal. Metal slides can get hot and cause burns on your child's hands and legs.
• Slides should have rails at the top for your child to hold on to.
• There should be a device at the top that requires your child to sit before going down.
• Make sure the area is clear of rocks, glass, sticks or other debris that could injure your child.
• The landing surface should absorb any impact if your child falls.

Swings

• Seats should be made of soft materials.
• Make sure there are no moving parts that might pinch your child.
• There should be at least 6 feet in front and behind the swing.
• Make sure open or "S" hooks are closed to form a figure 8.
• Swings should not be too close to each other. There should be at least 24 inches between seats.
• Older children should not play on swings made for smaller children. They could break.

Bicycle safety

• All family members should ride with bicycle helmets.
• Supervise street crossing.
• Make sure the size of the bicycle your child rides is right for him. Your child's feet should both touch the ground when he stands over the bike. The top tube of the bicycle should be at least two inches below your child's pelvis.
• See our guide What to Expect as Your Child Grows for more information.

Playing serves an important role in social and emotional development and provides equally important physical benefits. Have fun! but be sure and check the area and equipment before they play and don’t forget the sunscreen.

¹The study, “Playground Safety and Quality in Chicago,” in the February 2013 issue of Pediatrics.