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With
the increasing mobility of families, more children are traveling
to developing countries. A visit to a pediatrician or a traveler's
clinic should be scheduled at least one month before departure
to allow for completion of pre-travel preparation and immunizations.
Parents of children with food allergies should be reminded
that adherence to special diets may be impossible in certain
settings.
A leading cause of death in travelers is vehicular injury.
Automobile seat belts are sometimes unavailable in developing
countries, and infant seats are often nonexistent. If possible,
parents should carry child seats with them and try to obtain
seat belts that can be attached to cars.
Make sure you supervise your child at all times. A common
cause of hospitalization of children in the tropics is ingestion
of poisonous plants or easily accessible drugs (especially
antimalarials). For older adolescents, routine counseling
on sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection should
be reemphasized.
Remember that young children require frequent rest and refreshment
stops, especially for fluid replacement in hot climates. Children
also seem to tolerate heat less well than adults. Air conditioned
hotels may be preferable to accommodations that are more desirable
for adults that want to experience the "real outdoors."
Also, remember that you will most likely be traveling for
long periods of time in an airplane, car, bus or train. Children
often get bored easily. Make sure that you bring some of their
"essential" items like their toys, favorite games, and books.
They will have something to occupy their time when they get
tired or things get boring. This kind of common-sense pre-travel
planning will always make the difference between a fun and disastrous
trip with children.
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