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Is this baby fit to fly? Hypoxia in aeroplanes

Cara Bossley1, Ian M Balfour-Lynn

  • 1Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.

Early Human Development
|October 2, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Infants, especially those born preterm or with lung disease, risk hypoxia during air travel due to cabin pressure. Pre-flight fitness testing helps identify children needing supplemental oxygen to maintain safe saturation levels.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric respiratory medicine
  • Aerospace medicine
  • Neonatology

Background:

  • Cabin air pressure during flights reduces oxygen availability.
  • Infants, particularly preterm or those with chronic lung disease, are vulnerable to hypoxia.
  • Hypoxia can lead to serious health complications in susceptible children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the risk of hypoxia in infants during air travel.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of pre-flight 'fitness to fly' tests.
  • To inform guidelines on supplemental oxygen use for children flying.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on infant hypoxia and air travel.
  • Analysis of 'fitness to fly' test protocols and outcomes.
  • Comparison of current British Thoracic Society guidelines with potential alternative thresholds.

Main Results:

  • Healthy children tolerate reduced cabin oxygen well.
  • Preterm infants and those with neonatal lung disease face higher hypoxia risks.
  • Current guidelines may need adjustment for optimal safety.

Conclusions:

  • Infants require careful assessment before air travel.
  • Pre-flight testing is crucial for identifying at-risk children.
  • Oxygen saturation thresholds for supplemental oxygen may need re-evaluation.

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