In 2006 I gave birth to my second child. She was diagnosed in utero with a tumor. To obtain adequate medical care for me and the baby, we traveled very far from home by commercial airline to Boston, where we rented a temporary apartment for a month. It was a small 2br apartment in an ordinary Boston apartment building, nothing fancy. Child #1 (a 2yo) and I traveled together; DH traveled alone. All four of us returned home together. Unreimbursed hospital bills (all paid in 2006, whew!) are far in excess of 7.5% of AGI plus the standard deduction (married, filing jointly), so we should itemize our US federal tax return. So what exactly can we claim, of our travel and lodging? I think we can claim $50/night lodging for each adult (DH and I) because I was the "patient". And we can claim $50/night for child #2 after her discharge from the hospital. But... Can we claim $50/night for child #1? Can we claim DH's travel (rental car, airfare) to Boston, a trip he made alone? Can we claim child #1's airfare?
(Note Followup-to: misc.taxes.moderated)