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| February 2001 There was a study by Professor David Southall, published in 1998, linking cot deaths with babies flying. This was very controversial as it suggested that some could become profoundly hypoxic when exposed to reduced partial pressure of oxygen and that this could suppress breathing in the first week or so of life. The scare was sufficient for me to insist on a paediatrician's agreement before clearing a baby as fit to fly. Since then, the recent guidelines from the British Thoracic Society say it is prudent to avoid flying with a healthy, normal term infant (up to the age of three months) unless absolutely necessary, though there are no directly applicable studies of good quality. A premature baby, one who is oxygen dependent, or with neonatal complications would require special pre-flight testing. That said, there is no documented case of an infant dying as a result of hypoxia during flight. As with many aeromedical problems, the evidence is not sufficient to give a didactic statement. Dr S A Goodwin |
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