“What medication can I give my newborn when taking his first flight?”

It is not a good idea to fly with a small baby. The eustachian tubes are not well developed and as a consequence he might not be able to equalize the ear pressure, resulting in severe ear pain and middle ear fluid. He is too small to insulate his ears. Consult with your pediatrician if he may use a pediatric nasal spray like neosinephrine and use it about 15 minutes prior to take-off. Do not repeat it if the flight is only going to take 2 hours. Use it the same way on the way back and throw them away. It is not a good medicine for his nose, but may help if used only occasionally. The only sure way to protect the ears would be myringotomies and placement of ventilation tubes, which is a surgical procedure. Anything else constitutes a risk that you should be very aware to understand and decide if you want to take it.

Infants typically have immature drainage passages from the middle ears to the back of the throat. However, while their ears might be uncomfortable during descent on a flight trying to ventilate, most kids recover well. If they have fluid in their middle ears before the flight from a previous infection, the fluid in the middle ear actually protects them from pain, as the pressure cannot compress a liquid as opposed to an air filled space.

There is really nothing you can or should give an infant for flying. If you bottle or breast feed your child during descent, the swallowing action will be their best bet to stay out of trouble with their ears.

Good luck!

There really isn't. In most cases, it won't be a problem though.

Not really. Infant eustachian tubes are very small. Keep head elevated, pacifier may help.