Is flying hard on babies?

Air travel increases a newborn's risk of catching an infectious disease. Babies born prematurely, with chronic heart or lung problems, or with upper or lower respiratory symptoms may also have problems with the change in oxygen level within the air cabin.



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FLYING WITH AN INFANT: WHEN IS IT SAFE TO TRAVEL WITH A NEWBORN BABY BY PLANE? In general, doctors recommend you wait to fly until your baby's immune system is better developed. This could be as soon as one month for full-term infants, though most doctors recommend anywhere between three months and six months.

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Unfortunately, babies don't quite understand how to cope with (or avoid) that unpleasant sensation. As a result, they may get irritable and cry—especially during take-off and landing. Parents and guardians traveling with infants can get ahead of this ear pain and the tantrums associated with it by planning ahead.

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Mountain Travel With Newborns: Travel to places below 8,000 feet (2,438 meters) is safe. Brief drives over higher mountain passes are safe. If your newborn is not healthy, don't travel above 8,000 feet (2,438 meters). Your child's doctor should give the okay first.

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O'Connor said that as a flight attendant, she'll often sit down with a mom whose baby is crying and encourage her, ask if she needs something or just start a conversation about the baby just to move the focus from the tears.

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Will my baby's ears hurt during the flight? Changes in cabin pressure can be painful, especially for younger children with smaller eustachian tubes (a tube in the ear that helps even out pressure).

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Be prepared with plenty of formula, milk or healthy snacks, and bring more than you think you'll need. You never know when a flight will be delayed. Also, bring along essentials like diapers and wipes, a change of clothes (or two) for your baby, and antibacterial wipes for cleaning the tray tables.

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12-18 Months Old Once your child starts walking, all bets will probably be off unless you are blessed with the chillest of children. One year olds are often highly mobile yet totally uncontrollable, making for a potentially dangerous travel combination.

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Booking your flight:
  1. Babies under two years old are free (or often 10% of the fare for international trips) if they sit on your lap and don't get their own seat. ...
  2. If you have a short flight, you can easily plan it around naps. ...
  3. Try to get a bassinet row. ...
  4. Book an aisle seat so you can get up and down easily.


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Early morning flights are usually less bumpy, which means more time letting your little one out of the car seat to explore the cabin (a must for new walkers). If that isn't possible, and you've got a by-the-clock napper, book a flight that coincides with nap time.

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