How to Treat Altitude Sickness in Toddlers

It is generally safe for toddlers to travel to high altitudes along with their parents. However, because children are generally unable to recognize that they may be becoming ill, it is crucial for parents to be vigilant in watching for symptoms of altitude sickness and moving quickly to treat them.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Physician
• Water
• Pediatric ibuprofen

1. Understand that children are more likely to be affected by altitude sickness because their little bodies have a harder time making the adjustment to the decreased oxygen supply caused by the lowered air pressure.
2. Get a prescription for pediatric ibuprofen before you leave for your trip to the mountains. Child-safe dosages of this widely available painkiller can be used to treat the headaches and body aches caused by altitude sickness.
3. Know the warning signs that altitude sickness may be about to come on. As toddlers are rarely able to understand the signs of altitude sickness, it is important for parents to ask them if they are feeling symptoms. Headache, dizziness, fatigue and shortness of breath are the most common indicators that the high altitude is affecting your child.
4. Keep your child well hydrated. Experts recommend doubling the normal intake of fluids at high altitudes.
5. Treat mild symptoms by descending. This will usually facilitate a rapid recovery, especially in children. Once your child has recovered from his symptoms, begin to ascend again, but slowly. Take frequent pauses to rest, and allow your toddler to get acclimatized to the new altitude. Often, symptoms are caused by too rapid an ascent.
6. Use medicines to treat your child's symptoms only if resting or descending fails to clear them up. Children have a heightened sensitivity to medications, which can be more rapidly absorbed in the bloodstream given the lowered oxygen supply found at high altitudes.
7. Consider any failure of your child's symptoms to clear up as an emergency requiring immediate attention. Never, under any circumstances, should you attempt to bring your child to a higher altitude if she has a case of altitude sickness that is not getting better.

Tips & Warnings

• Symptoms of altitude sickness, especially mild cases, can usually be treated simply by resting at the altitude at which they first came on or by descending to a lower altitude.
• Speak to your family physician before you take toddlers on a high-altitude trip. It is wise to get medical clearance from a doctor in case your child has any condition that may worsen or hasten the onset of altitude sickness.