Toddler Sedation on an Airplane

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Impromptu

Impromptu

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If any of you have flown with a 12-24 months old toddler, you will know that that can be the most difficult form of flying. While babies will sleep and be soothed by warm milk, and 2 year olds can be entertained by screens and movies, the group in between those ages, 12-24 month old toddlers, are a real challenge. They are curious and mobile with short attention spans. Screen time has no hold over them. They will push and kick their way out of baby carriers and cry and scream if restrained. They do not have good communication skills. Naptime and overnight sleep are disrupted by all of the interesting things to explore around them.

What would your best advice be for mild to moderate sedation for a toddler on a long haul flight? As you are a poor student and want to save money, the toddler is a lap infant in coach. First, if you could bring any reasonable kit you wanted. Second, if you could only bring what the average person had available to them.

I would love to have a Propofol infusion. Oral versed could also be nice. A pulse oximeter would be necessary. Maybe a cloth with a few drops of sevoflurane?

Diphenhydramine is the main option I have found in the legal to everyone category, and I have seen mixed reviews. Dimetap? Other?
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Maybe your kid will surprise you? Our two year old on international flight did just fine. But my partner did suggest whiskey like the good old days....😉
 
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Oral versed works great. Maybe a little oral ketamine with it ....
 
GomerBlog did a good story on an issue similar to this, I saw it during the 12-24 month age for my son and couldn't agree more. No matter how board certified you get in anesthesia, you are still powerless about putting that kid to bed.
 
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IRL, we pack each kid their own backpack. That backpack has a few new toys from the dollar store. A new coloring book and triangle crayons (so they won't roll away). A bag full of candies and treats that the kids get to have free reign over including like 20 dum dum suckers each.

Big kids (4 and 6 yo) share the iPad with downloaded movies and a headphone splitter. Little kid (2yo) gets iPad mini with her own sets of games and movies. We also selectively use Benadryl on the little one cause she's a wild animal.

And I agree that the 12-24 months can be totally untamable. Best of luck.
 
Would TSA let you fly with Marijuana gummies? While legal in most states, they are a federal agency, where it is still illegal.

My wife nixed the idea of me in first class and her with the kids. She suggested both of us in first class and the grandparents with the kids in coach.
 
Our kids were fine during this age. We bought my son some $1 plastic trucks that he drove for 3 hours and my daughter just colored. This was multiple 3 hour flights, could be worse with longer I guess.
2-3 yo was worse, we just alternated activities every 15 min, or I read them a story. The worst part was I had to buy their own seat and they just wanted to sit on me so there was an empty seat I paid for the whole time.
 
I flew long-haul with 15 month old twins. My advice is the follows:
1) Do not allow/enable your child to sleep at the airport. Some airports have special play areas, all airports have long corridors in the terminals that make good places to play catch, follow the leader etc. Tire the child out in the terminal.
2) Explain to the child as much as possible what is going on in the plane, and expected plane behavior. (Prepare them beforehand - lots of kids' books on planes). Make it an adventure not an ordeal.
3) Pack a small bag as suggested above, ours had cameras toys, books that had fabric for touching etc, kid's favorite teddy, cars etc. Airlines usually give coloring-in books, crayons, airline badges but take your own just in case. Let them use the plane table as their office.
4) Pack snacks that your child eats. Mine were not candy eaters at that age. Don't suddenly give them a coke product or a sugar fix!
5) Change their diaper - make the trip to the bathroom a chance to walk around.
6) See if your child falls asleep naturally on your lap. Planes sometimes make kids sleep. If not, give the child a pain reliever that your routinely use and makes them drowsy. Do not give before take-off.
7) If that doesn't work use something more potent. Ask your Paed for a medication that makes kids sleep. Test it on the child weeks before you fly. It may have the reverse effect.
8) Don't panic. Everyone knows kids cry and are cranky. Most people will understand. I've heard of people who give out earplugs and candy to fellow passengers.
9) A couple of people congratulated me for my kids behavior on the flight when we landed. You'll be fine.
 
I would try to schedule the flight so that it coincides with your kid's sleep time or nap time. We have flown to Japan a few times with kids in the 0-3 range and this definitely makes a difference. It is still an unpleasant experience but, once the lights are down and if you can make them comfortable, sometimes they surprise you and stay asleep for a while. my wife found a blow up pillow (using the plane's air vent) that sits in front of the seat and makes a flat surface for the kid to lie down on. use the pillow and blanket that the plane gives you as well. also, if the kid is under 25 lbs plan ahead and get a bulkhead seat in order to get the bassinet. usually each plane has 2-3 available.
 
Plan B: sit in different rows in coach. “Honey, when I went to pick seats they didn’t have 3 in a row together.”
 
dr doze said:
Plan B: sit in different rows in coach. “Honey, when I went to pick seats they didn’t have 3 in a row together.”
Click to expand...
I am pretty sure the kid's neighbor is more than happy to change the seat.
 
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