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Is it safe to take our baby on an aeroplane?

 Providing your baby is healthy and does not suffer from any heart or lung problems it is fine to take her on holiday abroad by plane as young as eight months old. Babies even as young as three months can fly providing they are fit and healthy.

Remember she cannot fly if she is suffering with any form of contagious disease. The one which causes most difficulties at this age is chickenpox as your daughter can develop the contagious rash up to three weeks after being exposed to it.

Often you may not realise she has been in contact with an infectious child and then a rash develops just as you are about to fly.

Other common infectious diseases which could stop her flying are measles and rubella (German measles).

Until recently there was little chance of her catching these diseases but following the recent MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination controversy these diseases have become more frequent in children generally, putting her at more risk of catching them.

If you breastfeed (or have breastfed) her she will have some of your immunity to all these infections and will be less at risk of catching them at this early age.

For this reason it is important to check your holiday insurance covers you for the possibility of cancellation for contagious illness.

Some airlines and indeed holiday destinations ask for a doctor's letter certifying that your daughter is free from contagious disease and fit to travel. Check with the airline concerned or your tour operator.

Most airlines expect you to carry your baby on your lap and have specially adapted seat belts to hold her safely during travel. It is essential that you follow the airlines instructions about how to wear them and that you keep the belt on whenever advised, especially during take off and landing, even if your baby finds it uncomfortable. She will soon settle once the aircraft is moving.

If helps to encourage your baby to suck during take off and landing and perhaps during times of turbulence. These are times when her ears can feel painful because of rapid changes in pressure in the atmosphere.

If she sucks this helps to equalize the pressure between her middle ear chamber and the outside air. The best way is to let her suck from a bottle or your breast at these times.

If she is prone to ear infections or glue ear you may need to give her a dose of infant paracetamol 30 - 60 minutes before take off and again before landing if your flight is more than four hours long.

There are no other health risks for babies. In fact younger babies often fly much better than older ones as the noise of the aircraft engines seems to lull them to sleep.

Make sure that you drink plenty of water yourself during the fight - especially if you are breastfeeding - and that you get up and move around if the flight is more than two hours long, so as to minimize any risk of deep vein thrombosis in yourself. Your baby is not at risk of this if she is feeding and drinking normally.

We recommend readers seek personal medical attention in appropriate circumstances.