How can I help my baby with ear pressure when flying?

Helping children prevent airplane ear
  1. Encourage swallowing. Give a baby or toddler a bottle to suck on during ascents and descents to encourage frequent swallowing. A pacifier also might help. Have the child sit up while drinking. ...
  2. Avoid decongestants. Decongestants aren't recommended for young children.




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Helping children prevent airplane ear
  • Encourage swallowing. Give a baby or toddler a bottle to suck on during ascents and descents to encourage frequent swallowing. A pacifier also might help. Have the child sit up while drinking. ...
  • Avoid decongestants. Decongestants aren't recommended for young children.


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Young babies have not developed the ability to regularize their ear pressure by yawning or swallowing, so they don't know how to relieve the abrupt changes in pressure when the plane is taking off or landing. To prevent ear pain and discomfort, babies should wear ear protection whenever they're travelling on a plane.

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A pacifier might ease discomfort during flights. Babies can't intentionally pop their ears by swallowing or yawning to relieve ear pain caused by air pressure changes. Sucking on a pacifier might help.

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The best time to fly with kids The best times, most agree, are between three and nine months, when kids aren't yet mobile, and any time after age two or three. The idea here is to bypass the toddler phase, and, more importantly, to avoid flying with young infants. The latter is especially risky says Dr.

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If the pressure isn't equalized, the higher air pressure pushes on one side of the eardrum and causes pain. That's why so many babies cry during those last few minutes of the flight, as the air pressure in the cabin increases as the plane prepares to land.

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Choose the Quietest Part Of the Plane This suggests you should book ear-friendlier seats from the middle up to the top of the aircraft and along the aisle.

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Babies who do not have their own seat must be held securely during takeoff and landing in a parent's lap as directed by the flight attendant. You should not use a sling or front infant carrier to hold your baby on an airplane.

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It has been noted that earplugs do help in keeping noise and air pressure from causing ear pain in either kids or adults. Of course, it matters you choose the right earplugs and not just anything.

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But the pain is only temporary — it won't cause any lasting problems for kids and usually will ease within a few minutes as the Eustachian tubes open to let the air pressure equalize on both sides of the eardrums.

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If you think your toddler is likely to cry, yell and be noisy on the plane, you might want to book seats near the back of the aircraft. This section of the plane, behind the wings, is generally noisier, thanks to the engine, and the background hum might cover the sound of your child.

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Give your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen about 30 minutes before takeoff or landing. Or, use nasal spray or drops before takeoff or landing. Follow package instructions exactly about how much medicine to give your child.

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Helping with nausea is one of the benefits of Gravol, but it and the antihistamine Benadryl are also known to make kids sleepy. Because of this, many parents choose to give their kids these medications to help them settle and get some sleep on a plane ride.

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They may be in pain because of pressure changes at takeoff and landing; they may be tired and find it difficult to sleep without their normal surroundings; they might want to move around instead of being stuck in a confined space or they might be disoriented and scared.

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1-3 Months The first three months with your baby often seem the hardest.

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Flying can increase baby's exposure to infectious diseases, so it's best to wait until they're at least 6 months old, and have received some of their initial immunizations. Traveling by train poses the same risk. Road trips are usually the safest option for newborns and infants.

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