How old should a newborn be before traveling by air?

Mar 13, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Zhou Xiaofeng

Introduction

How old should a newborn be before flying on an airplane? Generally, it is recommended that newborns be at least 1 to 2 months old before air travel. Newborns with weaker physical conditions are generally not advised to fly. Newborns older than 1 to 2 months have gradually adapted to the external environment, and their physiological functions are relatively stable, thus they are better able to tolerate the pressure changes during takeoff, landing, and flight.

How old should a newborn be before flying on an airplane? Generally, it is recommended that newborns be at least 1-2 months old before air travel. For newborns in poor health, flying is generally not recommended. If parents have concerns, it is advised to consult a doctor in advance. Detailed explanations are as follows:

Newborns older than 1-2 months gradually adapt to the external environment, and their physiological functions are relatively stable. Therefore, they can tolerate the pressure changes during takeoff, landing, and flight to some extent. If parents need to travel with a newborn and the infant is in good health, air travel can be considered.

However, for newborns in poor health, such as premature infants or those with congenital heart disease or other serious illnesses, their physical condition is relatively weak, and their ability to adapt to pressure changes is limited. Therefore, flying is generally not recommended for these infants to avoid discomfort or worsening of their condition during the flight. If parents need to travel with such infants, they should consult their physician in advance and make decisions based on medical advice.

Even if a newborn is in good health, parents should adequately prepare for air travel, such as bringing necessary baby supplies and ensuring the infant gets sufficient rest during the flight.

References

[1] Shang Zhaohui. Nursing care in the transportation of critically ill newborns [C]// Proceedings of the 2009 Beijing Medical Association Pediatrics Academic Annual Conference. 2009:92-93.

[2] Wang Hong. What should parents pay attention to when babies fly? [J]. Family Education World · V Parent, 2017(3):47.

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