International Travel with Toddlers

• If your newborn or infant has chronic heart, lung or respiratory problems, get the green light from your pediatrician before boarding. Same goes for those who have recently had an ear infection.
• The FAA allows children under 2 years old to be held on an adult’s lap, but it’s safer to purchase an extra seat (look into discounted infant fares) and install your car seat. Turbulence can happen suddenly and unexpectedly, and it’s better for your child to be securely strapped in. For more tips on airplane car seats, click here.
• Read our airplane travel tips for how to soothe and entertain children and avoid security hang-ups.
• Visit your pediatrician for a pre-travel visit to make sure your children are up-to-date on their vaccines. Make sure the doctor knows if you’re traveling to a high-risk area for conditions like malaria, intestinal parasites and/or tuberculosis, and get copies of health records for any medical conditions.
• Check with your insurance carrier to make sure you’re covered overseas or if you’ll be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses. If you’re not covered, check with your travel agent or AAA branch for temporary coverage options.
• Buy an electrical converter for the hotel or house you’re staying at abroad.
• Because of recent concerns about children being taken across international borders illegally, carry a notarized permission letter or custody papers if traveling without the other parent.
• Know the health conditions, local laws and necessary entry documents of the country you’re traveling to.
• If visiting a high-risk area or if your child has a medical condition, contact an American embassy before you leave for a list of doctors. Your hotel might have doctors on call as well.
• Diarrhea and Gastrointestinal diseases are the most common travel-related problem for children. To minimize the threat:
  • Use only purified drinking water for drinking, brushing teeth, and mixing formula and food.
  • Thoroughly clean pacifiers and toys that fall on the floor.
  • Avoid fresh dairy products that might not be pasteurized.
  • Pack plenty of safe snacks from home.
  • Carry hand sanitizer.
  • Buy a few packets of Oral rehydration salts. If available, opt for those made with cereal so more calories and water can be absorbed.
  • Seek medical attention if infants and young children show signs of being dehydrated, have bloody diarrhea, fever over 101.5, are unable to keep down liquids.
• Preventing insect bites is the first step in avoiding vector-borne diseases like malaria and yellow fever (more prevalent in the tropics).
  • Cover strollers with mosquito netting.
  • Stay indoors after it gets dark, and have children sleep in rooms with air conditioning, screened windows, or under bed netting.
  • Keep children’s skin covered in as much clothing as possible, including shoes. For babies over 2 months old, cover exposed skin with insect repellent.
  • Thoroughly wash treated skin every night and check for ticks.
  • If in a high-risk area, treat any unexplained fever as a possible indication of malaria and seek medical help.

What to Know About Infant and Children Passports: