Travelsprouts

The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) strongly recommends that all infants and young children be seated in an appropriate safety seat (also referred to as a child restraint system or CRS) for air travel. But, to the dismay of many safety advocates, the FAA refuses to enact laws to mandate such seats, leaving the decisionRead more

1. To enter a car safely, the only thing in your hands should be your car keys, says a website on safety. (Hardly helpful advice for parents with young children.) In fact, placing car seats into cars is hazardous even in good weather. It involves compromising your balance. Bending awkwardly. Standing on one leg. HavingRead more

Forget lousy food, airport delays, and turbulence. One of air travelers’ biggest nightmares is sitting near a cute, cuddly little baby that suddenly morphs into a nonstop noise machine emitting high decibel, ear-piercing, headache-producing, sleep-preventing terror. An even worse nightmare: it’s your child. But hold on! There may be a solution to the screaming infantRead more

Crying infants and unruly children may be a greater distraction for a driver who is the only adult in a car than are texting or using a cell phone. Undisciplined and unrestrained pets also present problems. 1. Distraction of all kinds cause 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes. Distractions contribute to 16% of allRead more

Parents often ask what can they do to prevent young children from catching colds during air travel. While no one really knows if, indeed, flying increases the risk of catching colds, there is a safe technique that may decrease the risk (if it exists) and also make infants more comfortable: saline nose drops or sprays.Read more

1. Can newborns travel safely by air? Commercial jets are safe for healthy newborns. However, infants with a history of serious medical issues (significant premature birth or heart and lung problems around the time of birth), for the first year, even if the infant shows no symptoms, may have difficulty compensating for lower oxygen concentrations atRead more

Infant car safety seats are life savers when correctly used, reducing traffic-related fatalities by about 70%. But the seats are responsible for numerous problems and, rarely, deaths when inappropriately used away from cars. Moreover, car seat plus baby is heavy. Improper carrying can cause you, the carrier, needless aches and pains. 1. In the US,Read more

Good news for parents traveling by air with their children. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that it is easing airport security screening procedures for children under the age of 12 years, and is also easing the rules for carrying liquid medications. But expect occasional exceptions to the new rules. Here are theRead more

Skip your hot tea and coffee when flying with young children - and hope that passengers in adjacent seats do the same. Every year hundreds of passengers, many of them children, are burned by such beverages spilling on them. The combination of hot drinks, crowding, turbulence, and children is a formula for an accident waitingRead more