9 essential if you travel with children

Traveling in summer can be very relaxing: you finally leave your home, go to rest or take a few days in another city ... It is also the time when most trips are made and traffic jams can be tedious or long.

Traveling with children is also a greater effort, luggage, more stops along the way * It is important to have patience and know how to understand children on trips, because for them it is not pleasant. We have to be patient and not overwhelm us. Therefore, the Primary Care Pediatricians of SEPEAP give us some advice.

It is essential to take certain precautions when traveling, especially if you do it with children. For this reason we remind you of the 9 essentials to travel with children and thus protect their safety. Following these simple tips the chances of a problem arising are reduced to a minimum.


9 tips for traveling as a family

1. Child seats and retention measures in the car

In the car we must review the child restraint systems (SRI), seats appropriate to the age of each child, as well as seat belts. On the website of the General Directorate of Traffic, you can find all the necessary information on child restraint systems and appropriate modes of use. Children should not occupy the front seats, it is dangerous. Remember also the probability that some child may get dizzy, for this it is advisable to carry plastic bags that can be used if needed and avoid copious meals before the trip. The use of various electronic devices is not advised, as fixing the view at a nearby point increases the feeling of dizziness.


2. Drink or food on the plane to compensate for pressure differences

If you are going to travel by plane you should bear in mind that in the short journeys we will only find the annoying sensation in the ears when taking off and landing, which can be fought by drinking or chewing something, according to the age of the child. On somewhat longer journeys, remember to bring some drink and stretch every so often.

3. Medical card, national or international.

It is essential to travel with the children's health card and vaccination card. If the stay is abroad, you must inform yourself of agreements in sanitary terms in the country of destination, since it may be useful to contract general travel insurance or special insurance in those countries where health risks are important. On the website of the Ministry of Health, there is a document of health advice for international travelers.


4. Vaccines a day

In international travel, the possibility of the country of destination requesting an International Certificate of Vaccination, with obligatory vaccines to enter certain countries, especially those of the African, South American and South Asian continents, must be scheduled in advance. For this we must go to an International Vaccination Center or consult the location on the website of the Ministry of Health. If the trip is to a tropical country, in addition, it is convenient to analyze what kind of diseases will require previous pharmacological treatment.

5. Photoprotection

Sun exposure and photoprotection, as general measures we must remember certain aspects. First, avoid prolonged sun exposure, especially at central hours. Use umbrella, or look for shady sites. It is also essential to wear sunglasses with UVA / UVB filters. Finally, remember to use sun creams with a protection factor, resistant to water and not the only protection measure, with a filter always higher than 15.


6. Suitable clothes and repellents

During travel it is convenient to wear comfortable and loose clothing. If we are going to be very exposed to the sun, it may be advisable to wear long-sleeved clothing. In areas where there is an abundance of mosquitoes is especially recommended, because they are large transmitters of infectious-contagious diseases. In case of going to an area with mosquitoes it is important to use repellents.

7. First aid kit

It will always be advisable to take a minimum of essentials to solve small problems: gauze, plasters, some antiseptic, antipyretic commonly used. The medication for motion sickness (motion sickness) during the trip should be used with caution, with prior medical consultation. Ibuprofenos or acetaminophen are also useful in our medicine cabinet.

8. Medicines for the chronically ill

In case of traveling with children with previous or chronic illnesses it is advisable to take the pertinent medical reports. In addition, we must ensure that we carry the necessary medication for the entire scheduled stay. Asthmatic and allergic children should carry their "rescue" medication: injection of adrenaline for allergies, nebulizers, etc.

9. Patience and understanding

Traveling is a change of routines and habits that adults sometimes do not notice as much or consider as serious as children. They tend to act within habitual routines and spaces, so they can act in an adverse or annoying way when faced with changes.You have to be patient while adapting and try to enjoy with them the new environment and the possibilities it offers.

María Rojas Sanabria

Advice: The doctor Belén Aguirrezabalaga González, Pediatrician at the Contrueces-Vega Health Center (Gijón)

It may interest you:

- Children's routine: 4 tips not to leave during the summer

- 10 steps to survive a trip with children

- Travel with child restraint systems

- How to properly fasten a child restraint 'car seat'

Video: Carry-on Must Haves For Kids - Traveling with Teresa Strasser


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