Tips On Traveling With A Child With Heart Complaints

Vacations are a great way to spend time with your family. Traveling during your vacation is even more exciting, especially when you go to new places, meet new people and have an adventure of a lifetime. But how would you consider a holiday with a child who has a heart condition? These kids deserves the best vacations and travel just like ordinary kids, so Professor Michael Hofbeck, a German cardiologist, gives his advise on how to travel with children with heart complaints.

Professor Michael Hofbeck of the German Cardiology Institute advised that children shouldn’t travel far from cardiology clinic where the child is receiving treatment, especially if the child has just been operated on, or the cardiovascular system has not yet stabilized.

Parents should also secure emergency numbers such as the clinic’s telephone number. Also don’t forget to bring sufficient supplies of medicine, up-to- date medical reports and drug passes. It is also important to consider the climate of the destination. “Hot temperatures and high humidity levels can be stressful for a child with a heart complaint,” said Hofbeck.

Hygiene of the child should also be given attention. It is also important that parents or guardians should pay attention to the child’s diet when visiting places where there is a higher chance of contracting a gastrointestinal infection. Children with heart complaints should stay away from ice cream, raw vegetables and fruit that has not been freshly peeled. Drinking water is also one factor to consider when traveling. Not using tap water to drink or brush teeth can help avoid stomach upsets.

Hofbeck added that another important precaution is having the right vaccination, if one is required for the destination country. It is important that parents should talk to the child’s cardiologists first about the travel, so they would be guided accordingly.