How to make a vacation with a child pleasant and safe: pediatrician's recommendations

A child of any age can take a trip with you if you take the necessary precautions. Thanks to the recommendations of Natalia Sidelnikova, a pediatrician at Dobrobut Medical Center, your vacation will be useful and safe for your child and comfortable for his or her parents.

Take responsibility for choosing a vacation spot

For children in the first year and a half of life, the vacation spot should be as close as possible to the climatic zone we are used to. That is, it is recommended to take kids on a trip from summer to summer, but in no case from summer to winter.

Take care of the best mode of transportation

You can travel with your child by any means of transportation: car, train, or plane. If you plan to travel by car, make sure you have a car seat for safety reasons. It is also important to have a car refrigerator (cooler bag) with you to keep food fresh for as long as possible. Every three to six hours (depending on the child's age), you should plan stops to perform hygiene procedures.

It is not recommended to plan an airplane flight if the child is under three months old. The baby must also be healthy. It is important to make sure that he or she does not suck, chew, or drink anything during the flight. Otherwise, the child will suffer from pressure drops and be restless due to unpleasant sensations.

Plan your travel dates wisely

Depending on their age, children adapt to a different climate within 10-14 days. Therefore, it is important to set aside at least three weeks for the vacation. This is the optimal time to achieve the goal of a trip to the sea - recovery.

It is also important to take into account the individual characteristics of the body. Some children tolerate acclimatization well, while others have a stress reaction, which is most often manifested by an increase in body temperature or an acute respiratory infection.

Remember that it should take at least 10-14 days after the vaccination before your child can be taken on vacation.

This rule applies not only to the prevention of possible reactions after vaccination, but also to ensure that the immune system has time to form a response.

If the vaccination is carried out on the day of the trip or the day before, the child can still be taken on a trip if he feels well, but it is better not to combine routine vaccinations with acclimatization.

Visit your pediatrician before you leave

Some diseases can be hidden, so you should take your child to the doctor before you go on vacation to make sure he or she is healthy.

If the child is often sick, has any chronic diseases, before the trip, you should take tests (complete blood count and urine test) and visit a specialized specialist - a gastroenterologist, allergist, neurologist.

The doctor will also check whether all the child’s vaccinations are up to date for his age, and if necessary, may advise him to get additional vaccinations before the trip — for example, against hepatitis A or rotavirus infection, depending on the age, season and place of stay.

Based on the results of the examination, the doctor will recommend the best place to rest and the medicines you should take with you in your travel first aid kit. It is important to have emergency medicines: antihistamines and antipyretics, remedies for digestive problems, antiseptics, and bandages in case of injuries.

Think about the baby's diet

For safety reasons, it is better for the mother to prepare the baby's food herself, using water purchased at a pharmacy or baby food store. You can take some cereals and mixtures that your baby is used to from home. If the child is on artificial feeding, it is important to observe sanitary conditions for diluting the mixtures. At the same time, it is important to feed your baby the formula he or she is used to eating at home to avoid digestive problems.

At the age of five to six months, when babies begin to receive complementary foods, it is important that the trip does not coincide with the introduction of a new product. It is better not to give your baby new foods during the vacation, especially in the first week. This also applies to fruits and vegetables. Give preference to the food to which the child is accustomed.

Do not neglect the rules, otherwise it can lead to unpleasant consequences, up to intestinal infections.

Follow the rules of staying on the beach:

• Always keep an eye on your child;
• in the first days, it is desirable that the baby stays in the shade all the time. It is recommended to swim in the sea only on the second or third day after arrival, for no more than five to seven minutes. Over time, the time spent in the water and the number of activities can be increased;
• make sure that the baby does not get cold in the water. To do this, alternate water activities with sun exposure (ten to fifteen minutes each). Dry your baby's body with a towel after leaving the sea or river - water droplets can cause a burn;
• apply sunscreen no later than half an hour before going outside. Every two hours, reapply the cream, emulsion or milk. Choose a sunscreen made specifically for children's skin;
• it is recommended to stay on the beach only in the morning (before 11:00) and in the evening (after 16:00). A beach umbrella does not guarantee protection against heat or sunstroke and sunburn;
• Wear a light-colored hat and T-shirt to the beach, and make sure that your child does not stay in the open sun for more than fifteen to twenty minutes;
• make sure that the child does not swallow water while bathing;
• change your child's wet clothes to dry ones;
• wash your child after the beach: sand can cause inflammation on the skin and provoke the formation of microcracks;
• on the beach, the child should drink plenty of clean, still water. For babies under 6 months old who are exclusively breastfed, there is no need to give additional water, even in the heat — breast milk sufficiently covers the need for fluids.

If you follow all the recommendations, your vacation at the sea will be pleasant and comfortable for you and your child.

Article author - Sidelnikova Nataliya Mykolayivna

Article reviewer - Bravistova Natalya Oleksandrivna