Travel tips for children with type 1 diabetes

Many families of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) get anxious about traveling. But whether you are visiting the next town over or traveling to a different country, careful planning can help your trip go smoothly.

Huay-Lin Lo, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinologist at Children's Health℠ and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern, shared tips and recommendations to help families prepare for traveling with diabetes.

"Any new situation with diabetes can be overwhelming, and many families get stressed about traveling because things are harder to predict," Dr. Lo says. "I tell families not to worry too much since good planning and preparation can help you solve problems if they do come up."

What to pack when traveling with diabetes

Packing the tools and medications your child uses every day — plus extra supplies — is a great start to make sure your family is well prepared for traveling.

"We recommend bringing twice as many supplies as you would normally need for the duration of the trip," Dr. Lo says. "These supplies should be kept in their original, labeled containers and stored in your carry-on luggage."

Travel packing checklist for T1D

• Insulin (vials or pens), both short-acting and long-acting (even if your child uses a pump)
• Spare syringes/needle tips
• Pump supplies (if your child uses a pump). Anticipate changing their pump site every 2-3 days and bringing several extra spare sites
• Continuous glucose monitor (CGM) supplies (if your child uses a CGM). Anticipate replacing their CGM every 10 or 14 days and bring a few extra sensors
• Charging cables for any devices
• Glucose meter and test strips (even if you use a CGM)
• Lancets
• Alcohol swabs
• Urine ketone strips
• Glucagon
• Any other necessary medications
• Water bottle
• Cooler
• Freezer gel pack

Documents for traveling with T1D

Bringing copies of medical documents that explain your child's need for medical supplies can make it easier to go through airport security. These documents will also help if you need to replace supplies and help guide medical providers if there is an emergency. Make sure to bring:

• Some form of diabetes ID, such as a Diabetes ID card or medical alert bracelet
• A letter from your child's doctor, describing:
  • Your child's medical condition
  • Your child's insulin regimen and/or other diabetes medications
  • Supplies your child needs while traveling
  • Any food or drug allergies your child has

Food and snacks

Airports and flights can have limited options, so planning ahead is key. It's also important to make sure that any snacks meet TSA or international travel requirements. For example, you may not be able to travel to some places with fresh fruits or vegetables, and any kind of yogurt or liquid snack needs to be 3.4 ounces or less.

For road trips, make sure you have a few extra snacks in the car just in case you have unexpected delays or hit long stretches of road with no services.

"Bring a variety of snacks for different situations, including snacks to correct low blood sugars, as well as low carb snacks that won't impact their blood sugar," Dr. Lo says. "Other than that, just make sure the snacks are foods your child likes and that they meet TSA requirements if you're flying."

Learn the best foods for children with T1D.

How to travel with insulin

When traveling with insulin, it's important to make sure it doesn't get too hot or too cold:

• For air travel, store insulin in an insulated bag. Pack it in your carry-on, as checked bags may get too cold during travel, and they can be more likely to get lost or damaged than carry-on items.
• For road trips, use a small, portable cooler with a freezer gel pack.
• Confirm that your accommodations have a refrigerator for storing insulin and a safe disposal option for sharps.
• Store insulin in a cool shaded place, away from direct sunlight.
• Don't leave insulin in cars where temperatures can rise quickly.
• Insulin should not be stored directly on ice.

Air travel with T1D

It's a good idea to check with your specific airline or airport to make sure you know their policy about traveling with medical equipment. In general:

• Pumps and CGMs are typically safe for metal detectors. However, they should not go through full-body scanners.
• You can request a manual pat down instead of going through scanners.
• If you are unsure about what is safe for your device, you can reach out to the manufacturer with any questions.
• If your child uses a pump, changes in altitude while flying can sometimes affect how much insulin the pump administers, so it's a good idea to check blood sugar after landing, just in case.
• If you're changing time zones, we recommend updating your meter, pump and CGM settings to the new time zone.

Traveling abroad with T1D

If you are traveling abroad, a few extra precautions can help you prepare:

• Learn basic vocabulary in the local language such as the words for "type 1 diabetes" and "insulin."
• Get your diabetes-related travel documents translated into the local language.
• Find what steps you would need to take if you did need additional supplies, such as locating a nearby clinic or pharmacy and looking up how to fill a prescription.

Other advice for traveling with diabetes

Traveling can affect blood sugar in many ways.

"Kids may experience more changes in blood sugar than usual when traveling because of stress, changes in activity level, eating different foods and other things," Dr. Lo says. "Be prepared to adjust to both higher or lower blood sugars. It's a good idea to encourage your child to stay hydrated and keep a closer eye on blood sugar than usual."

If you have any other questions or concerns about traveling with a child who has type 1 diabetes, contact their doctor.

"In addition to your child's doctor, other families, community groups and Facebook groups can be great resources for parents of kids with T1D," Dr. Lo says. "Other families may be able to share tips and tricks they've learned over the years to help make traveling easier."

Learn more

Children's Health is home to one of the largest pediatric diabetes programs in the nation and was the first to receive Disease-Specific Care Certification for Diabetes by The Joint Commission. Learn how our experts can help diagnose and treat diabetes in children of all ages