Traveling with Diabetes

How to keep your children healthy while you're on vacation

Camp Red Jacket
Celebrates Seventh Year

Forty children ages 6-12 with type 1 diabetes participate in Camp Red Jacket. Now in its seventh year, the camp is a free three-day program that teaches children how to better manage the disease. Click here for more.

Ah, vacation. You’ve been thinking about it for ages. Now it’s finally time to pack up and settle in for some relaxing family time. But if your child has diabetes, it’s important to be prepared. Here’s what you can do to keep him healthy and ensure a joyous holiday. Bon voyage!

Before You Go

Talk to your child’s doctor. “Ask him to write a letter your child can carry that explains what he needs to do for his diabetes—such as take oral medications or inject insulin,” says pediatric endocrinologist Arnold H. Slyper, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Also, ask him to write a prescription in case he loses the medications or runs out.”

Make sure your child wears his medical ID in case of emergency, says diabetes educator Mary Cipolle, R.N., of Helwig Health and Diabetes Center.

Establish ground rules in advance. Scheduled blood testing and mealtimes are important because increased physical activity can cause blood-sugar to run low. But fitting in diabetes management can be a challenge. So, emphasize before vacation that eating and checking blood-sugar at regular times are non-negotiable.

What to Pack

Bring extra meds. Make sure your child brings extra lancets, syringes, canulas, batteries and other equipment, in case of a layover, cancelled flight or if he loses some of the medication he brings. A good rule: Pack at least twice as much medication and blood-testing supplies as you think he’ll need.

Prepare for illness—just in case. When a child with diabetes gets sick, blood-sugar may run high, especially if he becomes dehydrated. It’s always a good idea to pack an over-the-counter medication for diarrhea and nausea, like Pepto Bismol.

Prevent hypoglycemia. Be sure to pack glucose, sandwiches, granola bars and fruit to prevent blood-sugar lows.

On the Road

Steer clear of junk food. Vacation is often the time when children want to take a break from their illness and indulge in unhealthy snacks such as ice cream or funnel cake. But junk food can lead to upset stomachs, which affects your child’s blood-sugar. Remind him that making healthy food choices will help him feel better on vacation and ask him what kinds of healthy treats he might enjoy while you’re all on the road.

Keep light lunches and snacks on hand. You can help your child stick to an eating schedule by packing a light lunch, such as a sandwich, baby carrots, fruit and milk. If you’d rather eat out, make sure there will be an eatery along the way. “Bring along some snacks just in case, so your child can eat even a small meal no matter where he is, what he’s doing or if there’s a long line at the restaurant,” Cipolle says.

In the Air

Travel smoothly through time zones. If your family will be traveling through several time zones, be sure to talk to your child’s doctor or diabetes educator about re-timing his medications—including his insulin—and re-programming his pump for new meal and sleep times. Store your insulin properly. Be sure your child keeps his insulin with him on board the plane. “Insulin is sensitive to extreme temperatures, so he’ll need to keep it in his carry-on luggage, away from the heat and cold of the cargo hold,” Slyper says. Talk to your doctor about the timing of taking your insulin when on long flights.

Order a special meal. If food will be served on your flight, you can order a special “diabetic” meal. But you need to order it ahead of time—in most cases, at least 24 to 48 hours in advance. And be sure to verify your child’s special meal when you confirm your flight the day before, again upon check-in and once you’re on board. Note that many airlines no longer serve in-flight meals except on cross-country or international trips, and some insulins and oral medications put your child at greater risk of hypoglycemia.

Be prepared for safety checkpoints. Passing through safety checkpoints can be an ordeal, especially when you need to carry liquids and sharp objects. But the better prepared you and your child are, the faster the process. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) allows these diabetes-related supplies and equipment through the security checkpoint—once they’ve been inspected to make sure your child isn’t boarding with any prohibited items:

• insulin and insulin-loaded dispensing products (vials or box of individual vials, jet injectors, infusers, preloaded syringes and insulin inhalers)
• an unlimited number of unused syringes when accompanied by insulin or other injectable medication
• lancets, blood glucose meters, test strips, alcohol swabs and meter-testing solutions
• insulin pumps and insulin pump supplies (cleaning agents, batteries, plastic tubing, infusion kit, catheter and needle)
• Glucagon emergency kit
• urine ketone test strips
• an unlimited number of used syringes when transported in Sharps-disposal or other similar hard-surface container
• Sharps-disposal or similar hard-surface container for storing used syringes and test strips

Note: Tell the security officer that your child has diabetes and is carrying his supplies with him. Also clearly identify insulin in any form or dispenser.

Once You Arrive

Stay on a schedule. Your older child might already do a good job of maintaining his blood-sugar, but you may need to remind your younger child to check his blood-sugar regularly. Have him check it just before he goes on the next theme park ride or when he comes back to shore for a cold drink.

Eat meals together. Eat your meals as a family, so your child doesn’t feel like he’s been singled out.

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