Travel to Peru with infant
 

Hi!

Maybe someone has experience travelling to Peru with infant. I plan this year in November go to Peru and I would like take with me 3-month-old infant. I am worried about how infant will affect in the high altitude. For example, if I plan to go to places like Cusco, Machu Picchu, Puno (Titicaca Lake). Please share your experiences and recommendations that I should take into consideration.

Don't know about altitude effects, but trekking/walking with an infant at places like Machu Picchu, Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, etc, or the boat at Titicaca lake, may complicate your travel considerably. Those are not suitable places for babies.

And Sorojchi pills are not recomendable for children younger than 10yo

Keep in mind that the flight you take to Peru will be pressurized to about 8,000 feet so if you infant is fine on the flight then they'll probably be fine there as well, since it is less than 8,000 feet. However, going directly from sea level to that altitude may make physical activity difficult more difficult for you due to the lack of oxygen. Since your infant won't be doing much physical activity, I can't think of any altitude-related risks about visiting Machu Picchu.

I would be more cautious about Lake Titicaca which is at 12,500 feet. It's worth noting that people and their children have lived there for hundreds of years, however, you should certainly take time to acclimate, especially with an infant, rather than going directly there. At 12,500 feet there will be around 30-35% less oxygen than at sea-level, which is why I would be cautious about bringing a young child. For reference, the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii is about 14,000 feet and they recommend not bringing children under 16 from sea level to the summit on one of their day trips as they can be much more susceptible to altitude sickness. If you'll be working up gradually to that elevation I would consider it, but otherwise I would save it for another trip when they're older. Altitude sickness is not something you want to mess with.

I would not recommend it, everyone reacts differently to high altitude and you just won't know until you get there. Medical facilities in the Cusco region, especially outside of Cusco city are no where near western standards.

Also places like Machu Picchu have pretty steep steps, no handrails and lots of people. Walking around Machu Picchu with an infant isn't going to be easy and at worst, dangerous.

You should ask your child's pediatrician about the altitude. There are many factors that could affect your baby's response to altitude and your child's doctor is the best one to give you advice. Some kids will do fine, others may have underlying medical conditions. None of us know your child.

If your doctor gives you the OK, you should still be able to enjoy your trip and the sights you've mentioned; just recognize that you might need to skip some of the more strenuous activities or avoid sketchy trails if you're managing a baby.

Unless there is an underlying health issue, a doctor cannot tell you how someone will react to high altitudes. It is not uncommon for people who are perfectly healthy to feel unwell or become very sick when arriving at high altitude destinations.

Like other posters have mentioned, altitude has different effects on different people. I'm not a doctor, but I'm not sure it's a good idea to bring an infant from (presumably) 500 ft in RIX to 12,500 feet in JUL/Puno. It seems like too much risk for a 3 month old, especially with unknown lung strength and a multitude of other factors.

When traveling to these places with 12 yr olds, we started in CUZ, then went to Puno. If/when you decide to go, I definitely recommend working your way up in elevation.

And beyond the altitude, there is the constant temperatura changes. At sunny days it is warm. Nights are very cold. Machu Picchu is hotter than Cusco (since it is located at lower altitude, it is close to rain forests).

And november is the early rainy season. High probability you will get wet.

That would be my major concern at MP, which is no higher than the 8,000 feet to which airplanes are pressurized (and which is fine for babies in Colorado and lots of other places). For people who were capable of the incredibly precise stonework that they show in their buildings, the Incas didn't put much effort into building their paths and stairways at anywhere near the same standard. Many of the steps are twice as deep or more than typical 21st-century stairs, and the stone has worn slippery over the years even if you're lucky and don't hit a rainy day. (MP gets about ten feet of rain per year; November is the start of the rainy season.) You might be OK with trekking poles (rubber tips required in MP) and the baby in a sling that doesn't affect your balance too much, but it would be risky.