Babies on planes

[Small Pilot]

Does anyone know, whats the minimum age for babies to fly on commercial flights? A colleague wants to take a new-born to France. Are there any safety or airline regulations about it? Appreciate any help/advice....

[singaporegirl]

I don't know whether there is any legal minimum age, but a study published in the British Medical Journal in March 1998 gave the results of research at North Staffordshire Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent. It concluded that air travel and holidays at high altitude may result in a deficiency of oxygen in the blood of 'a small proportion of infants'.

Commenting on this, Anthony Milner, Professor of Neonatology at St Thomas's Hospital in London said that although 'it would be prudent to wait about a week after birth to be sure the infant is healthy', all the evidence indicated that 'flying appears to be safe for healthy children in the first year of life'.

However, the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths called for further research, pointing out that 'the laboratory setting is very different to that in a commercial aircraft'. It advises:

- keeping your baby cool and giving it appropriate feeds. .- don't let your baby become dehydrated – cabin air can be drier than normal air. .- if your baby has a cold or is unwell, see your doctor for advice before the flight.

[Gaza]

I don't know what the official answers us but I believe they should be at least 5 years old before they are allowed on boad as hopefully they will be past the crying stage by then!!

Babies in DVT class are bad enough but in Biz or First! <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

:) :)

[PAXboy]

Too true but, when they are five years old, they are old enough to start kicking the back of your seat of (if in front) reclining, then sitting up, reclining, sitting up...

My step father reckons that all check in agents keep a a spare baby under the desk. So that, should they find when he checks in, that no babt is scheduled on the flight, they can take the "Baby: Standard Airline, Screaming" and check it in to the seat behind him. :)

[dumiel]

There is no miminum age for babies but dont forget in UK they have to have their own p/port and that takes a few days. Most doctors would not recommend taking a flight until at least a week old for the reasons mentioned above. Always recommend feeding during takeoff/landing. <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">