Opening paragraphs
It had been a strenuous day: 1,500m of climbing. The ascent from the flimsy bamboo bridge across the river had been steep. But the children had enjoyed it. Alexander and Andrew were on some fantasy ascent of Everest, where they were high-altitude Sherpas shooting the occasional yeti and looking after Katharine who was the queen, revelling in being able to ride in a huge basket slung from a Sherpa porter’s headband; she and Sebastian sang to each other as they were carried up, or listened to Lorna (who seemed to have a lot more spare breath than me) tell stories or lead the singing.
We walked up (the children snacking frequently) through terraces, then forests, out into alpine meadows then finally on to the ridge at 3,000m where amongst pine forest twittering with birds we looked out to the glistening clean snow on Dudh Kundha glacier and Gauri Shankar himal. We camped by the gompa and in the morning the lama let us inside where he encouraged Sebastian and the older children to beat the huge drums used during worship. We were in no rush to move on; the children helped the wife of the lama feed her fluffy twin yak calves and the dads gave the kids rides in the gompa wheelbarrow. Alexander said ‘Why don’t we stay here for ever?’
To some, having children may seem as conducive to travelling as having your feet set in concrete. Travel with children is undoubtedly more of an effort and needs more planning, but life does not stop when we become parents.
Fragments
Electrocution in lombok - Case history
(Page 59)
She was in a terrible state when she phoned:
‘My son’s been electrocuted – is his heart all right?’
‘Is he still connected to the supply? Is he conscious?’ I needed some facts.
‘He seems OK; my husband thought quickly and turned off the mains. But I’m worried about his heart. Can I come around? Can you check him out for me?’
The nine-year-old boy looked in remarkably good shape when the family scorched into my driveway in Lombok minutes later and I could reassure them that there were no long-term effects or scars on his heart or internal organs. But the boy did have an awful-looking full-thickness burn two inches across on the palm of his hand where he had grabbed a live electrical extension cable.
He had lost all the skin including the nerve endings of part of the palm so that the wound was almost completely painless. The boy’s mother was meticulous in keeping the burn clean and changed the dressings daily; so, despite my predictions that infection would set in and despite tropical heat and flies, the wound remained clean and healed nicely with fresh skin growing back over the next few weeks.
Mountain sickness
(page 88)
Two hazards may not spring to mind when planning a mountain journey. The first is that the sun at altitude, especially if reflected off snow, is very strong and sizzles the skin; it is possible to get sunburned inside the nose so don’t forget to anoint under it and inside. Secondly the Himalayan region and the central Andes are hotspots for filth-to-mouth diseases: even on a trek there is a risk of severe diarrhoea.
| Reviews |
 |
“the answer for stress-free independent family travel”
Outdoor Pursuits magazine
“A lot of literature about travelling with children offers no more than elementary advice. One notable exception is Your Child Abroad. It’s definitely worth investing in”
The Sunday Times
“Useful… down-to-earth… practical… reassuring… how to deal with everything from sunburn to scorpion bites…. full of excellent advice that will be appreciated not only by parents but by most adult travellers too.”
Bird Watching
“reassurance... practical, reliable information”
Times Educational Supplement
“Doctor Jane knows everything about jabs, bugs and jippy tummies”
Dea Birkett in The Guardian
“Essential handbook for the more adventurous family traveller”
Junior
“indispensable”
The Guardian
“The most useful medical guide”
The Times
“Written by a travel health expert and a paediatrician, this authoritative guide is worth having in your suitcase... particularly if you are going somewhere adventurous.”
Daily Telegraph
"many parents are nervous about travelling with young children.....this book, written by people who have lived overseas, tells you what you need to know"
Rated No 3 of the 50 Best Books for New Parents The Independent September 2002
“[the] one book whose every page is specifically aimed at [travelling] kids... delivers exactly what it promises... derides exaggerated tales of sudden death by snake-bite...”
Dea Birkett in The Guardian, London
“Trekking families will find Your Child’s Health Abroad invaluable.”
The Sunday Times, London
Covers everything from tropical jungles to a visit to Europe The updated and expanded second edition of the classic traveling parents' guide Your Child Abroad: A Travel Health Guide covers everything from tropical jungles to a visit to Europe, offering tips on how to handle both minor problems and emergencies and including the latest medical updates for countries and problems. From handling a child's allergy problems overseas to new antimalarials and a regional risk analysis. Your Child Abroad provides plenty of precautions and risk assessments to make for informed parents.
Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) posted on amazon.com
Indispensable for parents traveling with children This book is so informative and so interesting, it is absolutely mandatory for parents traveling with children in areas of the world where there are health issues beyond your experience. There is a prodigious amount of up-to-date and accessible information packed into this volume--and it's the kind of book that you want to read from cover to cover, even the parts less relevant to your needs. My husband and I recently returned from a six-month sojourn in Thailand, Laos and Burma with our four children (aged 7, 5, 3 and 1). We carried this book as part of our medical kit, and it was invaluable in preparing that medical kit and also in helping to plan our trip itinerary (i.e., the book convinced us that malaria was the one nonnegotiable health issue). Memorable anecdotes from expatriate and traveling families pepper the book. There's nothing else like this out there.
Wendy Leonard (New York) posted on amazon.com
Wonderful - took a lot of worry out of travelling with a baby This book is an excellent reference book to take on any holiday when you are travelling with babies or small children. We took it to Nepal with us when we took our 7 month old baby, Jamie, and it provided to be an invaluable source of information and advice. It is worth reading before you travel as it has useful tips on what to take and what to avoid. It is clearly laid out and well written so that any concerned parent would find it useful. It has excellent checklists that you can use to determine if the symptoms your child has are serious in any way and provides some excellent advice. Every time my husband was worrying about any health issues I would tell him to read THE book! I would highly recommend it to any parent travelling especially if they are travelling to a remote destination such as within Asia, Africa or Latin America. We still use it now when our son gets ill - one of the best health advice books I have come across - one of a kind!
s.l.parker (UK) posted on amazon
“a timely and relevant publication. It embraces the parental perspective providing sound practical information and advice… With the help of case stories, the authors create a personal tone without distraction from the key points… This book is an essential resource of every travelling parent.”
Travel Wise: newsletter of the British Travel Health Association
“Peace of mind has rarely been so immediate and compact.”
The Sunday Times, London
“Parents considering taking children to developing countries would be wise to obtain a copy of this manual as it not only offers practical advice for disease prevention and treatment based on personal experiences but also gives inspiration to parents who may have doubts about travelling with offspring abroad. Travel health advisors will also find this book a useful addition to their library of travel health literature.”
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
“a good point of reference for parents considering trekking with children”
The Independent, London
“detailed manual packed with common-sense, medically accurate advice – it is probably worth buying even if you are holidaying in Cornwall.”
Practical Parenting
“The authors write that ‘the secret of pleasurable travel with children is to ensure that you are within your limits of coping’. I would add a second essential: this excellent manual for travelling parents.”
Simon Calder of the Independent newspaper, London
“includes an impressive number of lists… the authors, both parents as well as doctors, offer practical and reassuring advice as relevant in Corfu as Kathmandu.”
The Times, London
“adventurous parents…should pack a copy…It is packed with sensible advice about how to avoid exotic illnesses and what to do in emergencies (such as being burnt by hot buffalo milk)…it is also a delight to read.”
Daily Telegraph, London
“compulsive reading…tips are relevant for any foreign holiday…extremely well laid out.”
The Guardian, London
“offers advice on everything from keeping children occupied on flights to avoiding food poisoning…”
The Express, London
“interspersed with light hearted anecdotes which serve to reassure parents that most problems are usually minor and easily dealt with, despite how terrifying they seem at the time.”
Sesame, newsletter of the Scientific Exploration Society
“straightforward advice…in an easy-to-use format.”
Geographical Magazine, London
“comprehensive and comforting book for parents”
Dr Deborah Mills, Travel Health practitioner, Brisbane by email