There are an estimated 1.9 million children traveling with families overseas each year, and a growing number of these trips involve adventure travel to exotic places. Many families are journeying to developing countries that have their own environmental health risks. Here is some specific advice to parents traveling with children. The most important step is to schedule a visit with your family doctor at least four to six weeks prior to a major trip. Most vaccines take time to become effective in your body and some vaccines must be given in a series over a period of days or sometimes weeks. In fact, one important vaccine for travelers is
Hepatitis A, which can protect you and your children from foodborne illnesses. This vaccine is ideally given up to six months prior to traveling. If your kids’ shots are up to date, they have protection against pertussis (whooping cough), but adults may be vulnerable. For this reason, tetanus shots will soon include a pertussis booster. Be sure to ask your physician about this, because it’s a serious illness and becoming more pervasive.
Your physician can advise you about other pretravel drug/vaccine régimes, including influenza, pneumonia, Hepatitis B, chicken pox, typhoid, malaria, yellow fever, polio, measles and others. The Centers for Disease Control has an excellent Web site with recommended vaccinations for traveling around the world. Visit www.cdc.gov/travel and click on the appropriate destination to get a detailed list. Bring that list to your doctor’s office. Long airplane flights take their toll on our bodies. To minimize the impact of jet lag and prevent complications, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can cause dehydration, as well as a condition called vasa vagal. This is a fainting spell from the blood pooling in the feet and depriving the brain of adequate flow when you stand up.
HELPFUL WEB SITES
Overlake Hospital www.overlakehospital.org Offers a full range of advanced medical services to the Puget Sound region.
American Academy of Pediatrics www.aap.org Offers information on all aspects of children’s health and well-being.
Office of Travel & Tourism Industries www.tinet.ita.doc.gov Provides tourism development, policy coordination and export
assistance
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention/Travel’s Health www.cdc.gov/travel Offers information on health and safety when traveling.
Another very serious condition is deep vein thrombosis. The risk of blood clot is greater for those who are overweight or smoke, and for women taking birth control. Keep moving as much as possible, and pump your feet up and down to keep blood flowing through your legs.
Children should also drink plenty of water and move around as much as possible. Healthy snacks help kids feel and function better. They will tolerate fatigue better with good nutrients in their system, as opposed to sugary, salty or high-fat food. Water is always better for the body than soda or fruit juice, which irritates the bladder and leads to more restroom visits. Babies and toddlers may have trouble with their ears when air pressure levels change in the plane during takeoff and landing. A dose of Tylenol before you fly may help. If possible, nurse or bottle feed your baby during takeoff and landing, and encourage little ones to drink and eat during these times.
There are some excellent stores on the Eastside that provide creative travel activities. This can help pass the time and offset electronic games, music and videos, which aren’t beneficial for the metabolism, eyes and brain if overused. In general, kids tolerate jet lag better than adults. Sedative medicine may not be right for your child and some medicine can actually cause agitation. Talk to your family doctor. Encourage sunshine and exercise when you arrive at your destination to help reset your family’s clock.
Conditions at hotels and other lodgings may not be as safe as those in the United States, so carefully inspect the rooms for exposed wiring, paint chips or inadequate railings around balconies or stairs. To avoid foodborne illnesses, drink bottled water and avoid buying food or fresh fruit from street vendors who prepare food that might not be properly packaged, washed or cleaned. Most health problems that affect children overseas are diarrhea, malaria and accidents involving cars or swimming in water. What we call traveler’s diarrhea is most commonly caused by E.coli bacteria, so it is wise to travel with a broad-spectrum antibiotic, particularly if you are traveling to India or Southeast Asia where there may be language or cultural barriers. Antibiotics can also take care of sinus, ear or bladder infections.
Take a medicine kit when you travel that includes over-the-counter remedies such as Imodium for diarrhea, Benadryl for allergies and hives, Tylenol or ibruprofen for pain relief, and any prescription drugs. Some countries need a handwritten prescription with your name on it for certain classes of medications. Ask your doctor to provide the necessary paperwork. With good planning and extra care, a safe and stimulating vacation overseas is possible for all members of the family. Bon voyage!
