Preparing children for international travel

Travel with children may be either one of the most aggravating and trying or one of the most joyful and wondrous experiences of parenthood. What would have been a frustrating and potentially difficult journey may be transformed into a lifetime of fond memories with careful planning and realistic expectations. Although travel with children has existed since time immemorial, the field of pediatric travel medicine has only recently begun to emerge and will undergo many future changes as professional experience increases and research is conducted. This article will review current guidelines for travel medicine practitioners serving children and their families. These guidelines are based on available pediatric travel-related research, appropriately extrapolated adult and pediatric research, currently accepted practice standards, and expert opinion and experiences.