 Poster: A snowHead
|
Thanks for the feedback folks. I think it's going to be a cancellation but I'm waiting for the insurance company to confirm their present policy re pregnancy related cancellations before making a final decision.
spyderjon, That wasn't practice!! Bearing in mind that she'd just torn her ACL and had her left leg immobilised from the hip down, I view that as acrobatics 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Peter B, please make yourself a nice cup of tea, get a couple of you favourite bickies, and sit down for a bit of a rethink.
You have been given a lot of rather conflicting advice, much of it based on hear-say rather than evidence, and not all of it correct.
Question: why have you decided to cancel?
Is it problems of childcare or concerns for the health of your newborn?
How keen are you on this trip? How much are you prepared to pay to make it go ahead?
Childcare - the options:
1. Leave baby at home with grandma/aunt/friend.
2. Bring another relative/friend with you to help with childcare
3. Bring your own nanny
4. Organise a nanny in the resort
I would avoid crèches in a child so young – a purely personal opinion.
Altitude and Infants? The literature is awkwardly confusing and contradictory, but reading through it all is a general change of opinion from “ever-so dangerous” to “no obvious harm”.
The Classical View: “Altitude sickness is more common in children especially under the age of 2 years. Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne does not recommend children under 2 years sleeping above 2,000 metres and 2 - 3 year olds should not sleep above 3,000 metres. [NB. Sedatives will increase the danger of hypoxia (low oxygen).”
The modern view: “Once your baby is 3 months old, his lungs are developed enough that he has the same chances of suffering from altitude sickness that you do, as long as he's otherwise healthy.” (babycenter.com) and “I can't foresee any particular problems if you take a small baby away on a skiing holiday, even if the baby is as young as three weeks old.” (netdoctor.co.uk).
An attempt to clear up this confusion was made at a consensus conference in 2001 which concluded:
1. There are no data about safe absolute altitudes for ascent in children.
2. The risk of acute altitude illness is for ascents above about 2500 m, particularly sleeping above 2500 m.
Not very helpful.
The attitude to sedation has also changed. It used to be that any sedation at altitude was a bad thing : “Low dose diazepam inhibits ventilatory adaptation to mild hypoxia at moderate altitude. Caution in benzodiazepine use in moderate altitude is therefore necessary.”( Roggla et al, 1994). Note how they investigate one drug – diazepam – and then condemn a whole group – benzodiazepines – without any justification. More recent (and better?) work suggests otherwise: “Participants taking temazepam at 5300 m showed no significant drop in mean oxygen saturation values during sleep. Both the number and severity of changes in saturation during sleep decreased and the quality of sleep improved” ( Gerald Dubowitz, 1998 ).
D G Orf suggests there is a special problem with baby’s eyes. This is news to me, and I am unable to find any confirmatory reference.
All infants have ENT problems: here is sensible advice: “Babies cannot intentionally pop their ears, but popping may occur if they are sucking on a bottle or pacifier. Feed your baby during the flight, and do not allow him or her to sleep during descent.” (ENTnet.org).
So, enough of these links – what did I do?
Rosie was due in February. She was born 2 months early in December, but still came skiing with us to Obergurgl in April. (1930m). Mum continued breastfeeding and skiing. Non-skiing gran looked after her during the day between feeds. We were B&Bing. Rosie came out with us to the restaurants every evening.
Tom was born 1 month early in December, but again we went to Zermatt in April as planned in a self-catering apartment with friends who had similar aged infant and shared the childcare. The kids came up in the lifts with us for lunch.
Conclusion? Health worries are not a reason for cancelling your trip. Lack of adequate childcare might be, but be flexible: you might find a way yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Peter B, there was a baby/infant on our plane back from Innsbruck who was barely 6 weeks old and it was exceptionally cold last week in the Tirol region. Both parents looked like they had been skiing and baby seemed fine, I guess they took it in turns or had some childcare in the resort as no other adult was with them. Go for it, providing all is well health wise. When I've vistied the Ski Welt, I was under the impression that Ellmau was geared up for families.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Jonpim wrote: |
Conclusion? Health worries are not a reason for cancelling your trip. Lack of adequate childcare might be |
We live at 400m. in the foothills of the Chartreuse about 25km from Grenoble in the French Alpes. The two paediatricians we use advised not taking our son, who is now 6 months old, to ski resorts if we didn't have to in his first year. This is not particuarly based on the thinner air at altitude but on the difficulty of keeping junior properly protected against cold and sunlight.
I'm sure nothing untoward would happen but it seemed a bit selfish to inflict my interests on a baby.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
davidof, two paediatricians? Blimey, the French health service is good.
BTW, don't forget that your son will spend a large part of his life trying to inflict his interests on you. Get your retaliation in first!
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 8-03-05 11:11; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
davidof, I would never of course question the opinion of my esteemed colleagues, but I do wonder about the logic of their stance.
1. Presumably all the infants born of mothers resident in ski resorts are sent down the mountain to relatives or friends until they are older.
2. The elderly are just as (if not more so) prone to suffer from cold, so all the over 70s are also down in the valley.
3. And just where were you going to take your young child? Out on the piste all day? Or were you going to keep him/her inside where is is warm enough for you to walk round in a t-shirt and where the sun don't shine too much.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jonpim wrote: |
davidof, I would never of course question the opinion of my esteemed colleagues
|
You are welcome to question them, it is just their opinion.
| Quote: |
1. Presumably all the infants born of mothers resident in ski resorts are sent down the mountain to relatives or friends until they are older.
|
They don't have any choice... but have you looked at the skin of a 50 year old ski resort resident. It makes my wife's 30 year old Vuitton handbag look new  .
| Quote: |
2. The elderly are just as (if not more so) prone to suffer from cold, so all the over 70s are also down in the valley.
|
In France they probably are, living in a nice heated maison de retrait in Albertville.
| Quote: |
| 3. And just where were you going to take your young child? |
Well the problem is that mum (or dad even) wouldn't be very happy going to somewhere like Val d'Isère and then not venturing out. I agree with you, and respect your far superior medical knowledge, that probably not much harm would occur but we just figured ski resorts are of little interest to a small baby so why not wait another year when he can luge etc?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| richmond wrote: |
davidof, two paediatricians? Blimey, the French health service is good.
|
this is all changing, the British system of an assigned doctor is being adopted here. They have to save money as the health service is a bit broke.
| Quote: |
| BTW, don't forget that your son will spend a large part of his life trying to inflict his interests on you. Get your retaliation in first! |
Arf, you should be a policy advisor for the US State Department
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
Jonpim, where the heck did I say there was a problem with babies eyes ? All I said was that babies tended to sleep or cry I don't pretend to know why it is that some sleep all day whilst others cry but I'd hazard a guess that it has something to do with the altitude
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hi folks. Beanie's just seen the thread, and can't believe that I could even contemplate still going. Looks like it's another year restricted to Tamworth/Castleford 
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Peter B, Congratulations!
Sorry to hear that you'll probably not be going, but thanks for starting this thread, as we are off to Morzine at Easter with our 3 month old son (and non-skiing grandparents!), so everyones replys have been very interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
Sarah L, Hope you have a great time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
