How To Fly Safely With A Newborn During A Virus Outbreak
Again, the CDC recommends to avoid non-essential travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But if youre in a situation where you cant avoid to travel with your newborn, here are some precautions you can take to stay safe:
1. Consult with the babys pediatrician – The doctor can advise you on how to stay safe and healthy if you cant avoid traveling during a pandemic.
2. A First Aid Kit is a must – Pack a first aid kit with all the medications your baby might need during an emergency. This includes cough, anti-allergy, pain reliever meds, etc. Its also a good idea to pack a travel, digital thermometer .
3. Dont forget the Hygiene Kit – Use an Extra Small Cube to organize your sanitizing essentials like wipes, tissue, alcohol, etc. In light of recent events, the TSA is allowing passengers to bring up to 12 oz of hand sanitizer. But it needs to be screened separately from your other liquids.
4. Pack some snacks – Most airlines are limiting the in-flight food service to avoid contact between passengers and flight attendants. If youre a breastfeeding mom, eat a hearty meal before you leave for the airport and pack some snacks as well in case you get hungry while flying.
6. Do not cover your babys face – Children younger than 2 years old are more prone to suffocation and hence, not recommended to wear masks or any kind of face covering. If youre bringing an infant carrier, you can place a blanket instead over the carrier .
Have a safe trip!
Safety Tips For Newborns
Whenever you decide to fly with your newborn, you want to keep some safety tips in mind. Changing cabin pressure during a flight can hurt your baby’s ears when there is pressure in the middle ear. To ease the pain, you can offer your baby a bottle or pacifier to suck on during takeoff and descent. This will help to equalize the pressure.
Besides air pressure, you also want to consider cabin noise. It may be loud, especially during takeoff. Cotton balls or small earplugs can help to limit your baby’s exposure to the noise and help them sleep better.
As we mentioned above, you’re not required to purchase a seat for your baby, but it’s often recommended so that they can be secured rather than on your lap. A child is best protected when properly restrained in a car seat that has a label stating that it has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. Although you can’t use booster seats on the plane, they can be checked as luggage, usually without baggage fees.
Is It Safe To Fly With A Newborn
Yes, it is completely safe for your newborn tofly. Some airlines will let you carry a baby as little as a few days oldonboard. And if youre uncomfortable doing that, you can always wait until youfeel your baby is the right age.
Try not to wait too long, as it doesnt geteasier the older they become. There are still plenty of challenges when traveling with kids that areolder too.
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When Is It Safe To Travel With A Newborn
- Its always best to ask your medical professional for advice on this as there so many variables. Eg consider where you are travelling to, whether any additional vaccinations are needed, general health etc. We opted to fly international with our newborn after she had her first two rounds of injections and then we flew to South Africa.
- Travelling with a newborn on the plane means they will possibly be exposed to more germs than at home. Tray-tables, TV handsets, air vent etc can all be breeding grounds for germs. Although, it is unlikely your newborn will touch them as they wont be as mobile as an older baby, other people, including you will. Therefore adding anti-bacterial wipes to your carry on is probably a good idea.
Traveling With More Than One Lap Infant
The strict rule is: One lap infant per adult.
If you are flying as a solo adult and have two or more children under the age of 2 with you, you’ll have to purchase a ticket for one of them .
Two adults traveling together can have two lap children with them, which is great for parents with twins or kids born close together. But don’t be surprised if the flight attendant tells you that you cannot sit next to each other in the same row. Because of the limited number of oxygen masks, most aircraft only permit one lap infant per row.
Lap infants are also not allowed to sit in emergency exit rows or the rows directly in front of or behind the exit rows. On some aircraft, there are additional rows that do not permit lap infants.
If you are flying with an infant and your flight has bassinets on board, book that row if you can. Typically, you’ll find bassinets on international flights, but they might also be available on domestic flights with internationally configured aircraft.
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When Can You Fly With A Baby
There arent any official recommendations for how old an infant should be to board their first flight. But when flying with a newborn, keep in mind that babys immune system isnt as strong as an adults. Most planes use recirculated air, which means that germs, viruses and bacteria are more prevalent, and babies are more likely to catch something. Certain airlines, like United Airlines, require babies to be at least 7 weeks old to fly, while others, like Delta and American Airlines, will let newborns younger than 7 weeks fly as long as you have a doctors note. And some airlines have no minimum age requirement at all. Its best to check with your pediatrician and airline before booking babys flight.
Do Newborns Need A Passport
Any child under 2 years of age might be required to present a proof of age. A passport is one form of proof of age, along with a birth certificate or immunization record. For domestic travels, what matters is that you have a proof of age, not necessarily a passport. For international travels, babies are required to present a passport, no matter the age.
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Is Holding A Baby In A Car Safe
Never mind whats legal and in what country, at the end of the day its all about safety. Depending on the circumstance you find yourself in, youre going to have to make the call.
The best and safest practice is for your baby to always ride in an approved car seat and to never take your baby out while your vehicle is in motion.
You may be tempted to breastfeed while in the car for convenience or to keep your baby calm, but this would put your newborn at risk, should you have an accident.
Dont be swayed by comments from parents or grandparents, determined to remain stuck in the past ignore comments like this: In my day baby car seats werent even a thing.
Roads are busier, cars faster, accidents and fatalities more common. Car seats werent just invented to make more money from parents . Use them.
If you need to breastfeed or your baby is crying, it is best to take a rest stop, let everyone get out and stretch their legs and tend to your newborn.
Where Lap Infants Can’t Sit
In addition to emergency exit rows, or the rows directly in front of or behind the exit rows, some seats are off-limits to lap infants — especially those who also have an assigned seat with a car seat installed. This is often due to airbags that are installed in some of the lap belts. Most often you will encounter this in some business or first class seats or the first row of economy, though those are hardly hard and fast rules as it simply varies by airline and aircraft.
For example, on United, child safety seats or restraint systems also arent permitted in United Polaris business class on 767, 777 and 787 aircraft.
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Does My Child Gets A Baggage Allowance
Check with your airline if your baby gets a baggage allowance for all of those nappies and tiny socks they need as each one is different. The baggage allowance can be 5kg to 10 kg over for items such as a car seat or travel cot. If not, you might have to splash out for extra luggage allowance .
Most airlines realise a baby doesnt travel light but some dont. In this case, you might have to sacrifice your hand luggage in favour of a well-stocked changing bag. Thankfully, most airlines are more generous and do allow a babys changing bag in addition to your usual hand luggage.
Travel With Another Adult If You Have More Than One Baby
Be aware that each adult and person over 16 years of age can only hold one infant on their lap.
So if youre traveling with twins or two young babies alone, you can hold one on your lap, but youll need to purchase an infant fare for the other.
And typically, airlines only allow one lap infant per row. So if you have twins and are traveling with your partner, you wont be seated in the same row although the airline will try and sit you close to each other.
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When Can My Baby Fly On An Airplane
Hedy Phillips is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in POPSUGAR, Scary Mommy, Reader’s Digest, HelloGiggles, and more. She’s covered everything from the best backpacks to buy your kids for the first day of school to all the details you need to know about the latest TikTok trend.
Images By Tang Ming Tung / Getty Images
For some parents, flying on an airplane is a frequent occurrence. Whether vacations are popular in your household or business trips come up frequently, you might be wondering if you can bring your baby on the plane with you. Or, you might be adopting a baby from somewhere far from home and need to bring them back just a few days after birth.In any of these situations, the question of how young is too young to fly comes up.
Even if you never expected to bring a baby on a plane soon after they’re born, it’s good to know what healthcare providers recommend in these situations. While medical professionals acknowledge that babies can safely fly right after birth, they recommend waiting a couple of months if possible. There are a few main reasons for this that we’ll dive into.
In this article, we’ll hear from experts about when babies can safely travel by plane, as well as what parents should do to prepare for flight and how to make the most of their time on board the plane.
When Can A Baby Fly Is It Safe Flying With A Newborn Baby
Is it safe to fly with a newborn baby? With a little preparation and some good advice, flying with a newborn baby does not have to be stressful. Flying with an infant just takes a little extra time and a little more patience then flying without one. Here is some advice on how to make flying with an infant easier:
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Know The Risks Of The Sea
Swimming in the sea is great fun, especially if you get to do it somewhere that doesnt feel like youre jumping into an ice bath.
Only swim in parts of the sea where its safe to do so and theres a lifeguard in attendance. You might want to (known as research rip tides and currents and practise identifying them, as well as what to do if you find one.
If Possible Wait Until Your Baby Is 3 Months Old
Airplanes are a breeding ground for germs, so it probably isnt a good idea to fly shortly after giving birth since newborns have a weaker immune system. At the same time, though, an airline isnt going to ban a newborn from flying.
American Airlines allows infants as young as 2 days old, and Southwest Airlines allows infants as young as 14 days old. But a babys immune system is more developed by 3 months of age, making them less susceptible to illness.
If you need to fly with a younger baby, no worries. Make sure you wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer to protect baby from germs, and keep a safe distance between your little ones and other travelers.
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Cut Your Stops Shorter
The more you stop, the more you will come into contact with individuals and possibly gain greater exposure. So, prepare meals to last you through the day and pack trash bags and diaper pails for changes on the road. Talk to your driving companion and come up with a strategy that works for you. Some new parents who have completed this trip have simply stopped for petrol and toilet breaks.
How Do We Know If Its Safe To Travel As A Family
Unless you are fully vaccinated, the CDC still discourages travel. Because vaccines are only available for those ages 5 and up, this may mean that younger members of your family may not yet be vaccinated. In those cases, the CDC encourages individuals to consider the following questions:
- Is COVID-19 spreading where youre going? You can get infected while traveling.
- Is COVID-19 spreading in your community? Even if you dont have symptoms, you can spread COVID-19 to others while traveling.
- Will you or those you are traveling with be within 6 feet of others during or after your trip? Being within 6 feet of others increases your chances of getting infected and infecting others.
- Are you or those you are traveling with more likely to get very ill from COVID-19? Older adults and people of any age who have a serious underlying medical condition are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
- Do you live with someone who is more likely to get very ill from COVID-19? If you get infected while traveling you can spread COVID-19 to loved ones when you return, even if you dont have symptoms.
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Check Travel Requirements And Have All The Proper Documentation
Make sure to check and recheck rules for vaccines, testing and other requirements at your destination.
You should also confirm that your and your baby’s passports and visas are valid, you have letters of consent for traveling with your baby without your partner and make sure any documentation you might need for the entire family is up to date.
Many airlines use apps, like VeriFly, which can help you organize and streamline your documents ahead of time so you don’t miss or forget anything important. Certain countries require vaccine passports to enter restaurants and bars. Other destinations have websites or apps that travelers must use to fill out forms and upload vaccines or test results ahead of travel, showing a printout or QR code upon entering the country.
As rules and regulations frequently change, it’s best to check back often to ensure you know exactly what you’ll need.
Do Children Need Id To Fly
If you are traveling internationally with a 5 month old, then a passport is always needed. If you are flying domestically in the USA or Canada you do not need ID for your baby, but I always recommend taking a copy of their birth certificate.
Various other countries require all different sorts of ID and paperwork. With some airlines, lap babies may not be issued a boarding card but may need a boarding verification document. There is more information on travel documents here.
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How Old Should A Baby Be To Fly
Theres no official age when experts say its okay for your baby to fly. That said, the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages newborns from flying unnecessarily after birth, since air travel can increase a young babys risk for catching an infectious disease.
Thats especially true for preemies, those with chronic heart or lung problems, or those who already have a respiratory infection, since changes in cabin pressure could make it harder for them to breathe.
If you have to fly shortly after birth, check if your airline has age restrictions for newborns. Some airlines wont accept passengers less than a week old, while others will allow passengers who are as young as 2 days old.
Even after youve passed that tender early period, talk with your babys pediatrician before committing to flying, the AAP recommends. Depending on when and where youre going, the doctor might recommend giving your baby an early or extra dose of a certain immunization, like the influenza vaccine when traveling during flu season or the MMR shot if traveling to an area with a measles outbreak.