Flying With Preemies

Temperature Control

• All babies, but especially preemies, have more difficulty regulating their temperatures than adults, due to their larger surface area to volume ratio, according to The Merck Manual website. Since you have little control over the temperature of the airplane, take clothing that will prevent your baby from getting cold or overheated, depending on the plane. Direct the air flow control away from him, so he doesn't get overly chilled. Babies often don't sweat or shiver, so it's difficult to tell how well they're keeping their core body temperature in a normal range. If your baby feels hot to touch, take one layer off; if he feels cold, add another layer.

Respiratory Concerns

• The air pressure inside the plane is lower than that on the ground. While this normally causes no problems, if your baby has any type of respiratory problems, flying can lead to respiratory distress. Your baby's pediatrician might suggest that he not fly for the first year of his life, to prevent hypoxia, or low oxygen levels, pediatrician Dr. Jay L. Hoecker reports on the Mayo Clinic website. An Australian study published in the April 2006 issue of "Thorax" found that 81 percent of premature infants with a history of respiratory problems who were currently not on supplemental oxygen experienced drops in oxygen saturation during flight.

Car Seat Use

• It's always safest to buy your baby a seat on the plane and use an approved infant carrier to keep him in one place in case of turbulence or accidents. Being in the car seat for a long period of time poses risks for your preemie. The airway of a premature baby can become occluded more easily than that of a full-term infant. Positioning a preemie in a car seat so that his head doesn't fall forward, blocking his airway, can be difficult. If you keep your preemie in a car seat, observe his breathing carefully. Babies born in the United States must pass a 90- to 120-minute test that assesses their ability to maintain adequate oxygen saturation when seated in a car seat, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia website explains.

Infection

• Because their immune systems are less developed than those of full-term babies, preemies have an increased risk of infection. Flying exposes your baby to a multitude of unfamiliar people who could carry microorganisms that could make him sick. Contrary to common belief, the air in airplanes is recirculated more often than the air in a typical office building. Air flows from top to bottom, rather than from front to back, of the place, limiting exposure to bacteria and viruses, according to a Canadian study published in the 2007 issue of "Paediatric Child Health." The risk of contracting an airborne infection is actually relatively low, but preemies don't need any additional exposure to new microorganisms if you can avoid it.