I'm interested in finding out what the best way to prepare for
travelling with a 10 month old.  Our pediatrician (a bit of a purist)
advised against the use of Benadryl, Dramamine or other sedatives, but
EVERYONE else we talk to says definitely use something.  The first leg
of our flight, our baby screamed her head off the entire 4 hours,
especially on landing.  We tried giving her a bottle during take off
and landing to help with ear pressure, but she was so worked up she
wouldn't take the bottle.  Are over the counter drugs safe for this
and if so, in what doses and when to give (before the flight, once
boarded the plane, etc.).  Also, what are potential side effects of
this medication.  Thanks!

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 28 Jul 2005 21:05 PDT

Hello markeshi-ga,

The first part of your questin is asking for advice on how to prepare
for a flight with a 10 month old but the last part is asking for
advice on medicating the child. I can provide you with some
suggestions on how to have as pleasant a flight as possible. I don't
think medicating an infant for a flight is necessary or wise -- trust
your pediatrician. Please clarify what information you're really
looking for. Thanks.

~ czh ~

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Clarification of Question by markeshi-ga on 28 Jul 2005 22:06 PDT

Thanks for the follow up.  I trusted the pediatrician on the first leg
of the flight, and it ended up being a flight from you know what (for
my baby, me and the rest of the plane).  I'd like options, that's all.

I'm more interested in hearing some thoughts not necessarily on
'medicating' my child, but rather how to best guarantee that the
flight is an enjoyable one for her.  From the first experience I had,
none of the new toys, the DVD player, the cheerios, the travel seat
(we even booked her her own seat), cold water, milk, or the pacifier
worked.  The only thing I haven't tried is any of the OTC stuff that
Everyone is recommending.

Markeshi --

You may be interested in what the FAA allows pilots to use for sinus
congestion/ear blockage, as they pay close attention to the sedative
effects:

"The FAA also permits airmen to use nasal steroid inhalers such as
Beconase,Vancenase, Nasalide and Flonase.  Inhalers such as Afrin are
not permitted for use prior to flight.  It may be reasonable to carry
some Afrin in a flight bag for use in emergency situations with ear or
sinus blocks on descent.   Its' ongoing use for more than 2-3 days is
not recommended due to the risk of "rebound" nasal congestion once the
nasal spray is stopped.  Note that the nasal spray Astelin is not
approved for use within 48 hours of flight duty.  Atrovent nasal Spray
is authorized for use during flying after a two week ground testing
period without side effects."

Google search strategy:
"flight bag" nasal congestion

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

I have personally done this with every one of my kids. We always give
the babies (non-speaking kiddos) tylenol right before a flight. If
they have an ear ache or any sign of sinus drainage we give them
benadryl, too. We do this becuase the poor little guy can't talk and
say, "man my ears are plugged I wish I had drugs!" I wouldn't do it
every day but flying is a special circumstance. We also have toys that
the tot hasn't ever played with before and sometimes I wrap them up to
make it fun and take up time. If the baby starts to cry and won't stop
sometimes it's time to go to the back of the plane where it's super
loud and usually bothers less people. Little bits of ice always
captivate my kids, so does holding them upside down. You do whatever
you can think of and stay in there!

Hi markeshi,

The following site has a lot of great tips on traveling with a very young child.

Travel - children and airline travel
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Airline_travel_and_children

=========

Hints for Flying With Children
http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:lpBoD0Zg3g8J:www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,879837,00.html+flying+with+baby+earache&hl=en

"A few tips for traveling with young children on a long flight: (1)
Check in early and request front-row seats. You?ll be less frazzled
because Junior isn?t kicking the seat in front of him for 10 hours,
and the nearby crew seat is needed only for takeoff and landing, so
you can get some extra space. (2) Bring along little gifts: mini
coloring books and crayons, to make your kids happy and relieve
boredom; chewable candies to prevent earache and tears on landing; and
a spare set of clothes for each child, plus a fresh T-shirt for
yourself. (3) If you have a baby or a toddler, take your umbrella
stroller with you on the plane. The crew will store it during the
flight, and customs and luggage checks are much less stressful when
your hands are free."

=========

Best regards,

tlspiegel - who took her first plane trip at 6 weeks of age!  Mom said
I slept soundly the entire trip - 5 hours.  :)