A Traveling Medicine Cabinet

You hope you will never need it, but be sure pack it anyway. When getting ready for a trip, no one likes to think of travel emergencies, let alone go shopping with a long list of supplies you may need to cope with airplane sickness, Montezuma’s revenge (traveler’s diarrhea) and the likes. But when planning a trip with children, a travel first-aid kit should always be your companion.

If junior twists an ankle on the road, gets bitten by a nasty insect on the trail or picks up a stomach bug in a restaurant, you’ll want to have PediaPak as your partner. Grab it by its red handle when you head out the door and you will be well prepared for most minor travel emergencies.

Weighing in at only 3.5 pounds (1.59 kg), PediaPak makes a great start for creating a complete mini pharmacy.

Designed by Pediatric Acute Care and Travel Corporation, this well-organized zippered nylon tote has been especially developed for infants and toddlers. It contains over–the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers (Tylenol, Motrin), allergy/cough and cold medication, antibiotic ointments, gastro-intestinal medication and dressing supplies (bandages, gauze pads, sting-relief pads).

Also included is an easy-to-understand handbook explaining step-by-step emergency medical treatments for infants, children and adults. This handy health kit features a digital thermometer, tweezers and a tick remover, scissors and a medicine dropper. You will find almost 30 essential items in this practical pack, which is no larger than a purse.

However, some things that you may want to use in an emergency are missing. Syrup of ipecac or activated charcoal can be used to induce vomiting if advised by the Poison Control Center, and should be added. Saline nasal spray or nose drops can help to reduce earaches in children while the airplane cabin pressure equalizes during take off and landing. And you may wish to pack medications for sunburn, a sore throat, earache and teething pain, as well. These are not all strictly emergencies, but these conditions can certainly spoil a vacation for baby and you.

The 3.5-pound (1.59 kg) PediaPak forms a solid base on which to build your own traveling mini pharmacy. Talk to your pediatrician, add on according to your individual needs, and toss your customized kit into your suitcase or the diaper bag, or leave it, ever ready, in your car. And, of course, make sure that children cannot gain access to the first-aid pack.

PediaPak retails at US$ 65.95. For more information, go to www.pediapak.com.