Travel Health Kit

Essential first-aid kit when travelling with children

When travelling with children, your travel health kit should always contain:

Kids' paracetamol or pain relief medication
Saline nose spray or drops to use before and during flights
Saline eye drops
Plasters and blister pads in different sizes
Stretch bandage and gauze
Disposable gloves
Tweezers
Thermometer
Safety pins or clips
Medication against diarrhoea and nausea as well as laxatives
Rehydration salts or powder
Medication to disinfect wounds
Calendula ointment or any other mild healing cream
Antibacterial cream and/or tea tree oil
Hydrocortisone cream 1%
Arnica cream or tablets for bumps and bruises
Insect and mosquito repellent as well citronella spray to prevent mosquito bites. Best to take some stronger repellent containing Icaridin
Children’s antihistamine tablets or drops for allergic reactions to strange food, stings or sunburn
Sun cream and after-sun lotion
Malaria tablets if travelling in high risk areas, take the prophylaxis before and after your trips as required and also pack a mosquito net
Water purification tablets, drops or filter if travelling in an area where the water safety standards can not be guaranteed.
Syringes and needles if going to really remote places so you have your own 'clean kit' for emergencies should the need arise.

Remember also to pack the following documents:

immunisation record card/booklet and proof of required vaccinations for certain destinations such as proof of yellow fever vaccination
proof of your health or travel insurance and health or travel insurance emergency contact details
contact details of your GP or district nurse or specialist doctor with email address/fax and telephone numbers
record of the nearest embassy/consulate at your travel destination - it always it better to be prepared:-)

Travel Health Kit:
What to do when the trouble hits?

Please make sure you pack all the medication your child needs routinely and get in touch with your local paediatrician before you travel to exotic places with your children.

• Diarrhoea: Rest and drink plenty of fluids, give isolyte or rehydrating drinks made with a mix of 1l boiled water cooled, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3 tablespoons of sugar

• Ear ache: Use saline nose drops to ease the pressure in the nose-ear-canal. Put colloidal silver on cotton balls and put it into the infected ear as soon as your child notices any pain. As a precaution, put just one or two drops of oil into the ear of your child before swimming or bathing in the sea or in pools. This will stop bacteria from entering the ear canal.

• Bee stings and jellyfish stings: Put vinegar onto the sting and the acid will dissolve the poison.

• Sea urchin stings: Big ouch! Yes, our son has experienced that too! So be aware of seas urchins hiding under the algae or near rocks on the beaches. As my little one had more than 60 spikes in one foot, doctors tried to operate some of the bigger spikes out of the foot, but the best method in the end was to bath the foot several times a day in Epsom Salt solution. It eases the pain and dissolves the spikes. You can get Epsom salts in chemists or supermarkets everywhere. Sea urchin stings are nasty as they will take two weeks or more to heal...So tell the kids not to play close to rocks!

• Spider and snake bites: Get medical help immediately! Never suck out bite wounds! Try to calm the patient, take note or a photo of the spider or snake and try to identify. Ring ahead to the nearest doctor's practise or call the next hospital to get advice and then get quickly medical attention at the nearest hospital or medical centre.

Disclaimer: This travel health kit on Kids-World-Travel-Guide.com contains only the most essential self-help remedies and can be only a guide. Please refer to your doctor or pharmacist for any specialist medical advice.