Do Infant Safety Seats on Airplanes Save Lives? By Dr. Karl Neumann Posted in: Air Travel, Pregnancy & Newborn, Pregnancy & Newborn

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

Continue Reading
Preventing Colds for Air Travel By Dr. Karl Neumann Posted in: Air Travel

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

Continue Reading
Air Travel with Infants: Frequently Asked Questions By Dr. Karl Neumann Posted in: Air Travel, Pregnancy & Newborn, Pregnancy & Newborn

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

Continue Reading
Children and Airport Security By Dr. Karl Neumann Posted in: Air Travel

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

Continue Reading
Injury Prevention for Children on Airplanes By Dr. Karl Neumann Posted in: Air Travel

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

Continue Reading