Help kids fly the friendly skies

Nervous about how your holiday plane flights will go with your little one? Pediatric sleep specialist Suresh Kotagal of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., offers some suggestions for making your infant or toddler more comfortable during a long flight and ensuring a smooth ride for the child, parent, and fellow passengers.

* Check seat assignments on the airline website well before the flight to make sure that you have been assigned the spot you requested. Consider a bassinet seat for your infant, if the airline offers them. Ask for an aisle seat if you have a toddler; this will allow the child to stand on occasion.

* Dress youngsters in loose, comfortable clothing that easily can be changed if necessary. Try not to swaddle an infant in excessively warm garments.

* Overfeeding to pacify an infant frequently upsets digestion. Provide only as much nourishment as you normally would at home.

* When putting an infant to sleep on a flight, take along the blanket, pacifier, book, or nonmusical toy that your toddler normally uses at home; moreover, if your child usually is rocked, held, or patted prior to being put in his or her crib, do exactly the same during the flight.

* To prevent ear pain, consider giving an age-appropriate dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. This may be repeated four to six hours later.

* Children can sense parents' nervousness and tension. If mom and dad relax, the child likely will, too.

* Do not hesitate to ask flight attendants for help.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning