Travel Tips part one:safety

 

After almost 2 years of quarantine, so many of us have been missing our family and friends who live far away; lots of people are ready to accept some risks and do some traveling. This seems like an appropriate time to update and rerun my travel safety post. Next week I will give some management tips for the actual flight or trip. Both posts will include Covid considerations. My dad was a physicist who looked at the world from a unique perspective. How do things work? What is broken, what can I fix, but even more importantly what might go wrong and how can I prevent it? When he was teaching me to drive I remember him pointing to a boy with a ball on the sidewalk. “What could happen”? The ball could drop, fall into the street and the boy might rush into the street to follow it. Anticipating what could go wrong was the first step to prevention. My regular readers have heard me say that we can’t keep our children wrapped in bubble wrap. There are adventures to be had and loved ones to see. On the other hand, it is important to be aware of potential hazards. Knowledge is power and some accidents and harmful situations can be prevented. Others can be handled with less stress if you are properly forewarned. Health If you are traveling internationally, do you or your family need any travel vaccinations beyond the standard immunizations? Make sure you get these done at least a month before the trip if possible. The recommendations will vary based on where you are going and the age of your child. Make sure you have a copy of your immunization records with you on your travels. The CDC's Travel website is a great resource. This includes a list of COVID hotspots. No matter how much you miss people, I would be hesitant about traveling to a place that is running out of hospital beds. Covid precautions. If your child is at an age to get vaccinated for COVID, do it ASAP, it takes time for the immunity to take hold. As soon as they are old enough to cooperate, do some mask wearing around the house for longer and longer stretches at a time. It might take some trial and error to find one that works for you. People often ask for my recommendation on the best masks. The answer is whichever one they are willing to keep on! Of course a good fit and adequate filtration are what make any mask effective. One of my Oath Moms, Eliezah, says that her two-year-old has done well with Rafi Nova, Andy & Evan, and Cat & Jack brands that taper and have metal at the nose. Mom and author, Alexandra shared that her daughter Emma has been wearing the Evolve Together KN94s and with the ear loops tied they fit great. If you have a mask that you love, please let me know. Wipe down the areas around your seat as soon as you board the plane. Try to do as much snacking before the flight to avoid eating on the plane, but that being said, do not stress about it if you little one wants to munch on something. Staying sane during the journey is an important consideration. Getting care out of town If your child gets ill during the trip, it is important to know where to get care. I suggest doing some homework before you leave. This includes checking with your insurance if that is applicable, to see what will be the most cost effective choices. What local urgent care options are available where you are going? Do you have friends or family with a local pediatrician who will see travelers?  If your child has a history of wheezing, even if it hasn’t been an issue recently, take any inhalers with you on. Actually, bring them on the plane!  If they have ever had an anaphylactic reaction, make sure you have your epipen. That comes on the plane with you as well, along with your Tylenol  https://nursejudynvp.blogspot.com/2018/08/anaphylaxisepipen-options.html Be aware that your doctor's office can NOT call in prescriptions to another country! (Including Canada!) Gun safety? It might be awkward, but do it anyway - Ask your hosts if they own a gun. This might even be your own parents or siblings. Many people own guns and don’t give it a second thought if they are not used to having children in the house. It is essential to make sure that any guns are locked away, separate from ammunition. (This has nothing to do with the second amendment.) https://nursejudynvp.blogspot.com/2019/01/gun-safety.html Make sure that medications are child proofed. Grandma and Grandpa might have medications in areas that are easily accessible if they aren’t used to having young kids visiting. I had one little patient who got a dose of oxycontin right out of a nightstand drawer. Thank goodness she was okay. Is there a pet? Is the animal comfortable with kids? If animals are even the least bit growly, make sure they are kept in a different room. Some pets get stressed from having little ones around. I have dealt with more dog bite cases than I can count https://nursejudynvp.blogspot.com/2019/08/kids-and-pets.html Staying in a cabin/ Air B&B Make sure there is a carbon monoxide detector or bring your own. This is more important in the winter if there are wood burning stoves or space heaters https://nursejudynvp.blogspot.com/2017/11/carbon-monoxide-2017.html Most places have a smoke detector. Do a little test to make sure it has working batteries. Fire extinguishers are useless if you don’t know where it is and how to use it. Bed bugs...ugh Check the mattress before you unpack to make certain there are no bedbugs. The best way to do this is lift the sheets and make sure you don't see any red spots. Bed bugs are large enough to spot. https://www.bedbugreports.com/ In some cities like NY they are rampant. This is not a souvenir that you want to bring home. Crib safety Make sure your child's crib is up to current safety standards. If you are traveling internationally, be aware that cribs may not have the same safety standards that we have here in the US. General Holiday safety tips Are you staying somewhere with a Christmas tree? https://nursejudynvp.blogspot.com/2019/12/holiday-safety-checklist-2019.html Food safety This is often associated with international travel, but food can be contaminated anywhere. If there is vomiting, diarrhea and fever, this is likely bacterial and you should be seen. Making sure that you have clean water is essential. Make sure to avoid ice unless you are in a resort area that assures the safety of the water. It is worth asking the place where you are staying if the water is filtered. Street food, raw fruits and veggies, raw or under-cooked meats and fish, can all lead to trouble. Ask about poisonous plants https://nursejudynvp.blogspot.com/2019/04/keep-your-kids-safe-from-toxic-plants.html Swimming and Water safety If you are going anywhere with water nearby, appoint a water guardian. https://nursejudynvp.blogspot.com/2018/07/drowning-prevention-appoint-water.html Make sure there are alarms and fences around any pools, but there is no substitute for watching the kids like a hawk. Crowds Until we know more about new Covid variants that are making the news, I personally would suggest skipping any large crowds. But if a large crowd is part of your plans, take a photo of your child before the outing so you know exactly what they were wearing in case you get separated. Consider bright, recognizable colors. Write your cell number on their arm and cover it with liquid bandaid so that it doesn’t wash off. Make certain that your child knows the safety plan and where you should meet up if you get separated.  Hiking? Do a head-to-toe tick check every day. Winter isn't typically tick season, but with climate change, I never say never. The weather forecast is calling for much warmer than normal temperatures for most of the east coast this month, so if you are traveling on the east coast you might actually be able to enjoy some outdoor time. Altitude If you are above a certain elevation, it takes some folks a bit of time to adjust. You have to pay extra attention to sun and hydration.. https://nursejudynvp.blogspot.com/2018/03/dealing-with-altitude-2018.html I know I know, after reading all of this you are ready to curl up in a ball and call off the trip. That is not my intent. Do a little planning. When you call Grandma and or Grandpa with this very long and annoying checklist, just blame me. I can take it.