When is it safe to travel abroad with my baby?

Generally at any age: Depends somewhat on where you are traveling but in general safe to travel at any age if healthy. However if less than a year the risk of several immunizable diseases like whooping cough, meningitis, polio, measles needs to be considered as it may take close to a year to be fully protected from these risks.

Get packing: If you are planning on taking a long flight overseas i would wait until you baby is a minimum of 6 weeks old (2 months is a good age to travel). Your baby is a little more mature and their immune systems are a bit stronger. She also should have received at least her first round of vaccinations.

No minimum age: Many parents want to know when they can travel with their babies to visit other countries. The destination will significantly impact the preparation that needs to be undertaken. One factor to consider is the baby's immature immune system. The first 8 weeks of life the infant is especially vulnerable to infection. Consult your travel medicine doc and pediatrician for more detailed information.

6 months and after..: ...Completing all the recommended immunizations. Also check the CDC travel advisories for the area where you are going to see if any unusual hazards exist there.

Depends: We live in a globalized world and sometimes travel is a necessity. The youngerr the infant the more immature the immune system and their ability to fight infections. If you need to travel try to do so on a day that is not as busy, and check the CDC website for any disease outbreaks and additional immunizations that might be needed for your baby.

Depends: Travel is difficult with young babies. Try to avoid travel in the first 2 months. If you are traveling to a country where there are high rates of disease, avoid going for at least the first 6-9 months if possible.

Age 6 months: If a young baby absolutely must travel, the parents can talk to the doctor to see if the baby has any special needs. Babies 0-3 months old have weaker immune systems, so should stay home away from crowds. Those 3-6 months old have gotten some of their shots, and so have some protection. Babies over 6 months are somewhat more "sturdy" and can better handle colds, coughs, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Depends: Ideally one would wait at least until after the first set of vaccinations at two months. After that, some places are more "medically dangerous" than others. Check out the CDC "vaccinations and travelers' health" page (and of course the U.S. Dept of state travel warnings). Many countries require yellow fever vaccination after one year of age, and malaria prophylaxis is a big consideration.

Depends on situation: During a stint in the military, i routeinly discharged newborns that traveled to the airport for a flight back to the us for their first month or two before returning to japan. They traveled better than most toddlers or older kids.Considerations such as infectious exposure in transit, risk at the destination & availability of health care factor in. Live life but plan ahead to protect baby.