Air Travel with Shunts

Originally Posted by hydromom

Hi Everyone.* I'm new here....<br/><br/> My daughter Alex developed hydro as a complication from meningitis.* After a failed thrird ventriculostomy, she was shunted at 6 months of age.* She is 13 months old now and doing fantastic.* <br/><br/> We are debating taking a trip to South America to visit family this xmas.* Its an 11-hr flight.* I've been doing some research online, and I've read that some people with shunts suffer from severe headaches, pain around the eyes, and even vomiting from the changes in pressure, especially upon landing.* Has anybody had any experience with this?* <br/><br/> I would love to hear your feedback.* I really don't know what to do about this one.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>

I myself have not experienced it, but I know that when my dad had a shunt, we were discouraged form flying him because of theose side effects, most of the doctors were against him flying, but that was a while ago , maybe there are some preventative measures.

Considering all the drama at the moment with air travel I'd have to suggest everybody stays away from it for now.

Yeah especially since the Malaysian plane being shot down and now the Taiwanese airline plane crash. I would not touch flying for years until the conditions are safe again.

[quarterbreed]

I was prepared with suckers just in case her ears bugged her during take-off and landing as they say "normal" children can be sensitive to that but she didn't even flinch so she didn't even have suckers or anything.