Your Child Abroad: a Travel Health Guide (Bradt Travel Guides) [Paperback]

"...offers practical no-nonsense advice." The Times "An invaluable publication for parents travelling off the beaten track (and even on it)." Family Travel "...straightforward advice about planning and preparation as well as information on preventative care...in an easy-to-use format." Geographical Magazine "Peace of mind has rarely been so immediate and compact." Sunday Times "Excellent." The Independent "The answer for stress-free independent family travel." Outdoor Pursuits magazine

"Doctor Jane knows everything about jabs, bugs and jippy tummies"

reassuring and comprehensive guide to prevention and treatment in extreme (and not so extreme) environments. Includes checklists to aid judgement about when .. to get to a doctor and whether evacuation is necessary

"Peace of mind has rarely been so immediate and compact." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

..practical advice based on personal experiences... gives inspiration to parents who may have doubts about travelling. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Your Child Abroad is a down-to-earth guide for anyone travelling overseas with children, whether on a two-week family vacation or a long-stay posting in the developing world. The approach is both reassuring and practical, showing how to deal with situations ranging from the relatively minor to the life-threatening. A check-list of symptoms for common complaints and a range of useful contacts and further sources of information will prove invaluable for parents who are far from on-the-ground medical attention. This new edition provides a thorough update on the latest medical advice, including information on anti-malarial drugs, insect repellents and immunisations as well as case histories to learn from.

Practical and reassuring
For years Bradt guides have had a health section written by Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth and we had been looking for a way of combining her deep knowledge of travel medicine with her experience of living and travelling with small children in the developing world. During the latter stages of this book I joined Jane on a trek in Nepal. Her two sons came too, the youngest in a specially constructed basket carried on a porter's back. With this book, co-authored by Dr Matthew Ellis, adventurous parents can travel confidently with their kids. It is easy to use, clearly laid out, and ultimately reassuring. It tells you how to recognise symptoms, explains what you should do and when to call a doctor. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

This remains the only comprehensive health guide for travelling families; it is written by widely travelled doctor-parents: a GP and a paediatrician

Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth trained first in zoology (BSc from Plymouth) and then medicine (BM Southampton) and through overseas work has maintained a strong interest in parasitology and vector ecology and control. Since qualifying as a physician and becoming a mother, Dr Jane has trained in General Practice, Family Planning and Child Health (DFFP, DCH and DCCH). Her fascination in natural history led to her first expedition to the Himalayas, a six-month trip where she met her husband. This trip also provided her first intimate experience of histoplasmosis and intestinal worms, provoked a particular loathing of leeches, ticks and parasites and stimulated a desire to work towards their control. Research in Oxford (MSc parasitology) has given her a sound academic training but fieldwork abroad (including leading three expeditions) has also allowed her to develop practical approaches to research and other work in remote regions where proper resources are wanting. Her sons spend their early years in Nepal. These days she works as a GP in East Anglia as well working as medical director of a travel clinic. She writes for Wanderlust magazine and, on occasion, for the Independent.

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.