One concern after giving birth is whether you can travel with your new-born baby.
Travel in most cases is fine, and you can take the baby with you in the car to most places, provided you keep them warm and attend to them regularly.
However, there’s one question that might trouble most parents: is air travel safe for their newborn baby.
Air travel is safe for babies in most cases according to doctors, but you need to be mindful of certain factors before you get on an airplane with your newborn.
Here’s what you need to consider:
The Baby’s Age
Experts suggest that air travel with a baby is fine unless the baby is younger than seven days.
At that point, their organ systems are still quite fragile and may not be able to adjust to the changes in cabin pressure.
Make sure to consult your doctor if you must have your baby travel with you by air.
Be Mindful of the Baby’s Ears
The changes in cabin pressure can cause fluctuations in the middle ear pressure, which may result in ear pain.
Adults can deal with the pain, but infants are far more sensitive and may feel lots of discomfort.
You might need to offer the baby a pacifier, your breast, or a bottle to keep them calm. Otherwise, the discomfort will make them cry through most of the flight.
Along with that, the air cabin noises can be quite loud and cause discomfort.
You should have cotton balls or earmuffs at hand to keep your baby safe from loud noises.
The Baby’s Breathing
The pressure changes during air travel do not pose problems to healthy babies, but can be concerning for babies born prematurely or with problems such as:
Upper or lower respiratory problems
Chronic heart or lung problems
Since air pressure in a plane is lower than on land, these problems may be exacerbated during the flight.
Make sure to consult with your doctor before you get on the flight.
The Baby’s Safety
Finally, you have to figure out how your baby is going to be seated on the plane.
Airlines usually allow babies to sit in their parent’s lap, but the authorities recommend a safety seat.
Make sure to confirm if you need a safety seat or not with your airline at the time of ticket purchase.
