The London Tube

Whether you are a single parent or a couple, travelling abroad with a baby means that you are responsible for the health, safety and general well-being of someone other than yourself, which means that there things you should look into before beginning your holiday. Tips to remember in this situation include:

Vaccinations

If your baby’s due date for an important vaccination such as the MMR one lands during the period of your holiday, it may be best to get the vaccination done before going away. This is more important if you are travelling to a location such as Africa, as measles is still a very common illness there. If you are holidaying somewhere in Europe it will likely be less essential, but it is advisable to speak to your GP to confirm whether there have been significant instances of the illness in the area you are planning to visit.

Travel insurance

Securing the appropriate travel insurance before going abroad is vital anyway, but even more so if you have a baby with you. This will guarantee that, should anything happen to either you or your baby – such as an injury or illness – you will be covered for the cost of hospital treatment as well as travel back to the UK. This is particularly important if you are planning to travel to countries without a national health system, such as America, as without the necessary insurance you or your child would be refused medical care.

Plane travel

There have been concerns about possible links between long distance plane travel and cot deaths, but there is no real evidence to support this. The only particular advice offered by paediatricians and GPs concerning taking babies on long plane journeys is to ideally wait until the child is at least one week old. Unless your newborn has existing problems with his or her respiratory system, there is no need for further precautions.