Travelling with children Food and health

Ready-made formula milk from cartons is convenient

Baby food prep tips

Key points to consider:

1. In some countries, baby food tends to contain more sugar and salt than British versions. If you want to prepare fresh food abroad, it might be worth taking a compact hand blender.

2. Steriliser bags are ideal if you know you’ll have access to a microwave.

3. If you normally use formula milk, The Department of Health recommends you use the ready-made variety, which usually comes in cartons. If this isn’t possible, using boiled and cooled bottled water is a good alternative. Chemical purification tablets for sterilising water are not recommended.

4. Breast-feeding is desirable because it doesn’t require sterilising equipment or finding clean water, and so results in lower incidences of diarrhoea.

5. Scheduled airlines generally provide special children’s meals, but it's best not to rely on this as your child may be hungry long before the air crew deliver their food. Take some healthy snacks with you.

Health considerations

Travelling during pregnancy

If you're pregnant, it's prudent to get a check-up from your GP before travelling. Take your antenatal records with you when you travel, as well as a note of your blood group. 

Expectant mothers should not travel in unpressurised (small) aircraft, and should avoid areas with a high risk of disease, as well as destinations higher than 8,000 feet (2,500 metres). It's possible that the change in oxygen levels at altitude could trigger premature labour.

Sun protection for children

See the 'Sun and water essentials' page for information on what to bring if your child will be in the sun, at the beach or in a pool.

Vaccinations

It's considered best to avoid vaccinations when pregnant or breast-feeding, though the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says some vaccines can be used during pregnancy if necessary.

Inoculations to avoid are those which are ‘live’, that is, those which give you a small dose of the actual disease to trigger antibodies.If you really must visit an area with a high risk of disease, it is generally thought that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks.

Malaria

Malaria, along with Japanese Encephalitis and Yellow Fever, is more common and more serious in pregnancy. Some anti-malarials are generally agreed not to cause harm during pregnancy and recommendations for the use of insect repellents containing DEET don’t differ from those given to other adults. 

Avoiding malarial areas is the best policy. Children are susceptible to malaria from birth, so even if you are breast-feeding and taking tablets, your baby still needs to take a reduced dosage. The main anti-malarial drugs (doxycycline excluded) are thought safe for children.