Travelling by plane

Question

Hello,
we are planning a holiday on the Canary Islands with our daughter (actually 9 months, CF). Can we do this holiday without hesitation or does the about 4-hours flight present a great "danger" for her? Concerning e.g. the height, air-conditioning, germs, etc?
Is she allowed to take a bath in the sea there and play in the sand?
Her helath situation is stable, she has a fantastic development and the latest swab has been free of germs. We are planning in any case to inhale 2-times a day as is usual, there.
Our out-patient departement recommended an "emergency antibiotic". What else should we take into account?
Many thanks for your effort.

Answer

Hello,
you are planning a holiday with your daughter on the Canary Islands and ask, if the flight could be dangerous for her.
As you reported, that your daughter does very well, I assume, that her lung function is normal. Under these circumstances the 4-hours flight is not a special danger. As you may already know, the German patient organization, Mukoviszidose e.V., organizes climate-cures on the Canary Islands. This would not be done in case the flight would be regarded as a special risk.

Your child can without problems play in the sand at the seashore. The sea water is not a problem, either. Because of the salt content, the sea water does not contain any Pseudomonas bacteria or other problematic germs.
It makes sense to take an emergency antibiotic with you.
Probably you contact the German patient organization "Mukovisziodose e.V.". There you can get the addresses of physicians on the Canary Islands, who are experienced in CF.
We wish you and your daughter a nice and relaxing holiday on the Canary Islands.
Yours sincerely,
H.-G. Posselt

04.10.2010

4.10.10 Pleas find extenden information on the topic "flying with children" under Topics--travelling--Q/A "flying"; however there we were talking about long distance flights.
D. d'Alquen