Year-end has come, it’s the holiday season and you’re making plans to travel. This time around, it’s going to be different because you’ll be travelling with baby for the very first time. It’s going to be a brand new adventure and naturally you’re excited but nervous. How will baby react on the long, tedious journey? How will baby adapt to the new routines, new place of stay, new sights and sounds, new air and the new atmosphere and environment?
You’ve heard of many horror stories of children not doing well on a trip. Restlessness, tantrums, exploding diapers and even skin flare ups…
Whether you will be coming or going by plane, train or automobile and landing somewhere in Malaysia or overseas, you want to be prepared for all contingencies. The first step is to walk through your holiday in your mind and plug all those holes that you can see, beginning with what to pack along to cover this or that in case it happens.
When considering what to take along, bear in mind your:
1. Mode of Travel
You’ve read all the advice online about packing along snacks, entertainment, extra diapers, wipes, clothes and such, but here is something no has ever talked about in detail: Dehydration.
Travelling and Dehydration
Dehydration is the root of most maladies and the most likely to occur when travelling. The human body is 75% water and if not enough of it is bringing around oxygen and nutrients, essential systems in the body can become impaired and you, as an adult, will begin to get migraines, dizziness, confusion, lethargy amid other problems. In an infant or young child, it’s worse, if not downright frightening. You will see sunken eyes and cheeks, sunken soft spot on top of the skull, no tears when crying, no wet diapers and plenty of listlessness and irritability. All that inconsolable screaming and tantrum throwing just adds to the problem and you don’t know if he is crying because of the trauma of travelling or because of the distress of dehydration. Maybe it’s both.
That’s why it is best that you pack essentials to avert dehydration.
In the case of baby, did you know that infants and children also lose water through their skin? Dermatologists call it “transepidermal water loss”. As you may already know, baby’s skin barrier is paper-thin; it is immature and still developing in his first 24 to 48 months of life. On top of that, it is also constantly expanding as he grows, stretching out and spreading thin until he has finished his growth spurts during his toddler years.
Because he is small-sized and has a larger surface area of skin in relation to his weight (or larger surface-to-volume ratio), children’s skin allows for more water loss than do adult’s. At the same time, children have higher metabolic rates and immature kidneys which produce dilute urine. The higher turnover of fluids means they lose more water than they retain.
While travelling, bear in mind that:
If Flying – The air inside airplanes is especially drying. The air at 35,000ft is extremely thin, cold and dry with a humidity level of only 10% ─ 20%. Furthermore, the air is pressurized with pumped in oxygen. In short, it’s “artificial” air that dries out the inside of the cabin. If the air can make your skin tight and your lips crack, it can dry out baby even faster. No wonder a lot of babies find air travel to be uncomfortable, not to mention painful to the ears at take-off and landing. It goes without saying then, that encased in airplane air for long hours can deplete baby’s overall water content more quickly than if he were on the ground.
If Travelling by Train – Although making the journey by train keeps you and baby at ground level, you are still in air-conditioned air. Air-conditioned air is drying and train journeys can be incredibly long and tiring as trains tend to stop at every station, dragging the journey out. Everything is constantly shaking and vibrating too, which makes walking, eating, keeping your balance, changing and feeding baby quite a challenge.
In the end, fatigue, headaches, dry mouth, and dry skin are just some of the dehydration symptoms that can come from being in the lower humidity of a train carriage for long periods of time. Sometimes too, the seats are not in the greatest condition or at the highest level of cleanliness which can predispose skin and body discomforts.
If Driving ─ Have you noticed that you tend to get very thirsty after a long drive? When sitting for long periods of time on a road trip, under the glare of our perennial sun, our body temperatures rise, we get hot under the collar (literally) especially when stuck in a jam. This makes us stress out even more and sweat. The same applies to baby. Strapped inside a car seat in one position for hours on end will make him kick up a fuss and lose precious moisture. If you are using the air conditioning in your car, that jet stream of air is constantly removing water from you and your baby’s skin to keep you cool, even as your bodies are continually pushing out more sweat.
When combined with the normal loss of hydration through breathing, it can be very easy to become dehydrated in the car without noticing. You may not be performing any physical exertions, but your body is constantly losing water – particularly at the warmer spots of contact between your body and the seat.
Also, whichever mode of travel you choose, eating while on the move can cause baby to vomit and/or constipate or discharge from the other end. Apart from bringing extra diapers and clothing to take care of his poop and puke, you’ll also need a wash you can trust to safely and cleanly wash the mess off baby.
2. Destination
Another consideration when packing is taking into account what you will need at your destination. If you are going overseas where there will be a drastic change in climate, the air of the destination country will also play a role on baby’s overall reaction. Pollution, heat wave, cold snaps ─ they all affect the air quality which could play havoc on the skin, among other areas. Even if your destination is here in Malaysia, your hometown will have different air. It can be hotter, drier and stickier, or cooler and fresher but more exposed to the natural environment. Or you could be going to the beach, in which case the sand and salty air will have an effect on baby. It has been said that sea air is healthy but it does tire you out easily and you will want to wash the sand and salt off baby after a great day by the beach. Sunburn may occur readily too because baby’s skin has less melanin than an adult’s.
One Problem Solved with Cetaphil Baby
With so much to take care of on your first travel with baby, at least have peace of mind with one aspect of his care ─ his skin.
Using a pediatrician-recommended product that is hypoallergenic and gentle and non-irritating to skin is so important to protect baby’s skin as it will keep the skin in optimum health and help in preventing skin sensitivities in the long run.
Discerning mums always choose Cetaphil Baby because they know it won’t fail them in keeping baby clean, moisturised and healthy.
This is because Cetaphil Baby Moisturising Bath & Wash is recommended by paediatricians. It is paraben free, soap free, tear free, hypoallergenic, and pH balanced. Best of all, it contains 1/3 moisturiser with aloe vera and almond oil which will keep baby’s skin soft. Being gentle, it will not overdry baby’s delicate skin.
Aloe Vera is well known to be soothing and cooling while almond oil is said to be restorative and healing. Together, they lock in moisture, restore and keep skin cells healthy.
These two ingredients will safeguard baby’s skin. They also won’t set off an allergic reaction and this is most important as children’s sensitive skin can react to washes that contain sensitizing agents or chemicals.
No mum wants to see her baby tormented by itchy rashes, infection and eczema, especially while on a holiday as having a good time and making wonderful memories are the foremost objectives.
10/10 Mums Trust Cetaphil Baby
The good news is that 10 out of 10 mums trust Cetaphil Baby Moisturising Bath & Wash to gently cleanse and moisturise baby’s delicate skin ─ which means, this is the one product you must remember to pack along when you holiday with baby.
In fact, it should be the one item to bathe baby with on a daily basis.
Many mums have the misconception that Cetaphil Baby is only for babies with sensitive skin or skin problems. But that is not true. In fact, it is great for babies with all skin types. Its hypoallergenic properties and gentle formulation means it is wise to keep baby’s skin healthy at all times and that’s what all mums want for their babies.
Begin bathing baby with Cetaphil Baby Moisturising Bath & Wash weeks or months before the holidays so that baby doesn’t have to face another shock during a time when he will have to take in so much unfamiliarity at one go.
Let that one aspect of his routine remain unchanged and you will have a more contented baby during the holidays, at least where his skincare is concerned.
To find out more about Cetaphil Baby, visit the Website, Facebook and Instagram.