You’ve been waiting for their arrival for 9 long months and now you can’t wait to travel with your baby in your arms. Before travelling by plane with your newborn, there are some key things to bear in mind.
Is it possible to travel by plane with a newborn? The Italian Society of Paediatrics says that ‘Healthy, full-term children can travel by plane from 48 hours after birth, but it’s preferable to wait until they are at least seven days olds.’
In the first few weeks, children’s immune systems are still developing and the risk of exposure to infections is higher. Some parents, however, find themselves having to travel out of necessity or for urgent reasons and it’s therefore essential to ask questions and take the right precautions.
After how many weeks can I travel by plane with a newborn?
There is no specific age set as an absolute limit. Many doctors believe that newborns are ready to fly from 2 to 3 months of age when their bones begin to become stronger. Naturally, every child has different characteristics and needs, so it’s wise to rely on the advice of the paediatrician who has monitored the child since birth.
We asked Prof. Gaetano Pagnotta, a specialist in Paediatric Orthopaedics with over 38 years’ experience at the Bambino Gesù Paediatric Hospital in Rome, who also works in the Paediatric Orthopaedics clinic at the CONI Institute of Sports Medicine and Science in Rome, for an opinion: ‘There are no particular limitations. Let’s say that the newborn is being treated for a congenital orthopaedic pathology (for example, Congenital Clubfoot or Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, and therefore wears a cast or brace). Even if this is this case, there are no particular contraindications to flying.’
N.B. If you plan to fly with a premature baby or with a child with lung or heart disease, you must seek medical advice before embarking on the flight.
Advice and common sense
Having taken into account the above, when it comes to travelling by plane with a newborn, it’s important to be organised so that you and your little one can have a comfortable and calm experience.
Here’s some advice:
- Plan travel during the time slots in which the newborn is usually calmer and more inclined to sleep
- Breastfeed or bottle feed during take-off and landing to help the baby regulate pressure in their middle ear. We would like to remind you that you can take more than 100 ml of baby food on board > https://www.airdolomiti.eu/baggage/hand-luggage
- Make sure you have a change of nappy on hand and the products you need for the baby’s hygiene
- Bring a change of clothes for any temperature fluctuations or episodes of spitting up/nappy leaks
In short, flying with a newborn is not only possible, but can even be a pleasant experience. Air Dolomiti welcomes new parents and pregnant parents on board its planes with warmth and attention.
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