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Travelers are exposed to new cultures, perspectives and unfortunately, new germs, and children are most susceptible. They dehydrate faster, practice frequent hand-to-mouth contact and are likely to get up-close-and-personal with nature. Plus, their immune systems are incomplete. Even more bad news: many travel-related vaccinations and preventive medications are not licensed or recommended for pediatric use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The good news: if chaperones plan ahead and watch children closely for signs of sickness, most kids will return to the U.S. healthy, happy, and full of new ideas. In 2005, about 28,787,000 U.S. residents traveled abroad and eight percent of them were children, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (part of the U.S. Department of Commerce). International travel is becoming more popular and people are taking greater risks in the types of trips they take. According to CDC researchers, adventure travel — such as rafting in remote areas — is “growing rapidly” and more people are bringing their kids. Even docile-sounding trips can lead to illness. The area most visited by U.S. residents is Western Europe, which is one of the safest regions in the world, but even there kids can get stomach illnesses or fatigue from jet lag and other travel-related stresses. About 1.9 million children travel overseas each year, according to the CDC, and 32 percent of all U.S. travelers are visiting friends and relatives. Many of these travelers assume they’re safe and are therefore less likely to seek pre-travel preventive care (such as immunizations), CDC researchers claim. Even in the safety of a loved one’s home, it is important to watch kids for fevers, dehydration and irritability. Agitation may just be a sign of jetlag, stress, or normal “kid behavior” but could also be a symptom of a much bigger problem. The most common illnesses among pediatric travelers include diarrhea, malaria, tuberculosis and intestinal parasites. A good way to prevent foodborne illness in babies is to breastfeed. All drinking water should be purified, and purified water should also be used for formula, ice cubes, brushing teeth, and cleaning pacifiers and other items that children put in their mouths. The CDC offers the following tips: -Make certain that all dairy products are pasteurized. -Wash and peel all fresh fruits and vegetables. -Thoroughly cook all meat, fish and poultry and eat these items immediately after they’re cooked. -Avoid food from street vendors. -Dress children in as much clothing as possible (such as pants, high socks and long sleeves) to protect against mosquitoes, ticks, etc. -In areas where mosquito-related illness is a risk, make certain that children sleep in a mosquito net (which is like a little tent that is set up around a bed.) -Iron all clothing and diapers that are dried in the open air. This prevents fly larvae infestation. -Set a sheet, towel or tarp below infants and toddlers when they are playing on the ground. This will minimize exposure to parasites in soil, such as hookworm. -Do not let children go outside without shoes. Traveling light is usually a good idea, but with kids it’s better to err on the side of bringing too much, as long as “bringing too much” entails safety-related items, as opposed to that second set of tea cups. Chaperones should pack alcohol-based hand sanitizers, child-safe hand wipes, baby formula and packets of ORS (oral rehydration solution) such as Emergen-C. Also, bring plenty of the child’s medications, vitamins, or personal products such as diaper-rash ointment in case these items are not available at your travel destination. The most important item to bring is common sense. Paranoia is not necessary and will probably cloud good judgment anyway. It’s best instead to come prepared, set up ground rules, keep an eye on the child, hang back and enjoy the trip.
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