With four children, 8 year old Tania, 6 year old Susie, 4 year old Ashley and 2 year old Michael, packing for the annual family vacation is a major production for mom, Antoinette. “I take towels, bathing suits, their wet shoes, medications like Motrin, Tylenol, band aids, of course we take a camera, we take, sun block, “off” for the bugs, we take a beach umbrella, a stroller if possible, wipes, so, basically, I mean everything,” says Antoinette Defalco.

Vacationing with four children, Antoinette considers herself somewhat of a pro when it comes to packing up the troops for some summer fun away from home. “The most common thing that can happen from my experience with four children is Benadryl, because they can get hives or they can be allergic to the chemicals in the pool,” says Antoinette.

According to medical experts, many parents are not as mindful as Antoinette. “Most travelers in general are unprepared for illness on vacation and with children the smaller they are, the more of a risk any illness can be. The most common travel related health problem is auto accidents so the most important piece of advice to give parents traveling with young children is bring that car seat along, make sure to use seat belts,” says Dr. Edward Chapnick of Maimonides Medical Center.

Stomach upset and colds are some of the more common ailments kids usually have while vacationing. “Diarrhea is the most common form of travel related illness and the smaller the child is the easier it is for that child to get dehydrated, bring along anti-diarrhea medications as suggested by the child’s doctor as well as at least know how to obtain the proper solutions to hydrate the child if they become dehydrated the oral electrolyte solutions that you see on your grocery store are fine to use,” explains Dr. Chapnick.

Along with sunscreen and bug repellant, you’ll want to have your pediatrician’s phone number and stock up on some medicine chest staples.
“Disinfectants and bandages things like that, cough syrup, aspirin, Tylenol,” says Dr. Chapnick.

And, if any family member takes special medication, never pack it in your checked luggage. “Checked baggage can get lost, so those things should be brought with you at all times, it is also a good idea to have a list of those medicines for anyone on medication, so if they get lost you need to know the names the doses, the tablets those kind of things to get them replaced,” says Dr. Chapnick.

If you’re traveling out of the country, you’ll want to make sure both you and your children have the appropriate vaccinations. You should schedule a trip to the pediatrician to confirm that your child’s immunizations are up to date. In addition, you can obtain the proper paperwork as proof that your child has the required vaccinations for the particular country you’re visiting.

Before leaving for vacation, it’s usually a good idea to check with your health insurance company to determine if your particular plan covers medical care overseas. Some do and some don’t. It’s something you definitely want to check out before you leave for vacation.

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