By Nathalie Lynch, M.D.

Traveling on a plane with children can be challenging and stressful if you are not adequately prepared—so plan ahead and arrive early. Here are a few tips to make your next travel experience more enjoyable.

• Arrive early to airport in order to give yourself extra time to get through security.
• If you are traveling with an infant, you will have to remove the infant from the carrier, stroller or infant seat. Most of the airlines will allow you to keep the stroller until you reach the gate, where it will be checked in and made available to you at the destination gate. It is best to keep young children in the stroller even if they are able to walk, to minimize risk of injury and to facilitate carrying other items by hand.
• Let your older children know that their bags and personal items/toys will have to go through the X-ray machine but will not be harmed and will be returned to them on the other side. Also, let them know that they will have to take their shoes off. Have children wear shoes that fasten with Velcro or come off easily.
• Minimize the carry-on items you are taking. Pack a bag of toys and snacks to occupy your child during the flight. For toddlers, buy inexpensive small new toys for long flights, wrap them with wrapping paper or even newspaper and let them open them on the plane. It is best to bring toys that do not make noisy sounds.
• Take advantage of pre-boarding offers. A few airlines no longer allow pre-boarding with children. If that is the case, have one adult board with the carry-on items and the other adult wait until final boarding to board with the children.
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows children under the age of two to sit on an adult’s lap. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that families purchase a seat for all children due to safety issues. A child is best protected when restrained in a car seat until the child weighs more than 40 lbs. and can use the aircraft seat belt. Belt-positioning booster seats cannot be used on airplanes, but they can be checked as luggage, so you have them for use in rental cars and taxis.
  
• In order to decrease ear pain during descent, encourage your infant to nurse or suck on a bottle. Children 4 years of age or older can try chewing gum.
  
• Avoid air travel within two weeks of an episode of an ear infection or ear surgery.
• If you are traveling internationally, make sure your child is up-to-date on his or her vaccinations, and check with your doctor to see if they might need additional vaccines. (You can also reference the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site below). Parents should carry safe water and snacks; waterless, alcohol-based hand sanitizer; child-safe hand wipes; diaper rash ointment; and a water- and insect-proof ground sheet for play outdoor.
• In order to avoid jet lag, adjust your child's sleep schedule two to three days before departure. After arrival, children should be encouraged to be active outside or in brightly lit areas during daylight hours to help them adjust.

For more information, visit the CDC Web site's Traveling with Children: Resources, American Academy of Pediatrics and the FAA's Child Safety on Airplanes.

Dr. Lynch is a pediatrician at PAMF's Redwood City Center.