Illness...

When Your Child Gets Ill On Vacation

A sick or injured child can turn a fun filled family vacation into a disaster. Prepare for the unpredictable before you leave home.

If anyone in your family takes prescription, over the counter medication, or supplements regularly, be sure you have enough on hand for the trip. You may not be able to find them in a strange town.

Remember, not all OTC medicines are available everywhere. If there is a specific brand of allergy medicine your child uses occasionally, take it with you.

For prescriptions, carry a new written script with you.

For each family member write down the name of the medication, the condition it is taken for, doctor's name, patient's age and weight. This is especially important for children. Keep a copy of this list in your luggage, another in your vehicle, and a third in your purse or wallet.

Keep the name, address and telephone number to your pediatrician or family doctor in an obvious place. Rescue workers will look in your wallet or on your cell phone first. To identify contacts in your cell phone as emergency numbers use the key phrase ICE with the entry. ICE stands for "In Case of Emergency"

If traveling by car, be sure to have a well- stocked first aid kit and reference manual with you. Cuts, scrapes and minor sprains can be treated with basic first aid. For broken bones, head injuries and more serious injuries, treat with first aid until you get to the nearest emergency room.

Always keep insurance cards with you, and make copies of the cards, just in case. Have enough cash available for one parent to fly home with an injured or ill child.

The odds are, you'll never need to fly a child home because of illness or injury, but it's better to be prepared.