By Sue Hubbard, M.D. | Premium Health News Service, www.kidsdr.com
It is the time of year for bugs and bites, and I see a lot of kids with bites coming into my office. Parents ask, "What kind of bite is it?" And in most of the kids I see are having a reaction to a mosquito bite. Parents are extremely concerned that the reaction may be abnormal and lead to breathing issues or that the bite it is infected. For some reason, baby and toddler skin just seems to swell more. That is not science, but my observation. Maybe it's because they are "yummier"? At any rate, the best way to avoid "the mystery bite" is by using insect repellent. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children be protected from mosquitoes, as they may not only cause discomfort and itching but also several viral illnesses including West Nile, Zika and Chikungunya. Insect repellents will also prevent ticks, some of which may transmit Lyme disease.
Both the AAP and Centers for Disease Control recommend the use of DEET-containing repellents for children 2 months of age and older. For young infants, it is often easy to protect them from bites by using mosquito netting over their stroller or car seat when they are outdoors. Once your child is older and hard to "contain" beneath mosquito netting, you may use a DEET-containing repellent and start with the lowest concentration (you will need to read the labels on each product). The protection and effectiveness for DEET products of different concentrations is similar, but a higher concentration provides a longer duration of protection. Picaridin has also been approved for use in concentrations of 5 percent to 10 percent. The higher the concentration, the longer the duration of protection. So choose accordingly. I often have several products at our house and decide which to use based on the length of time we are enjoying the backyard, the age of child or adult, and the method which I want to use to apply (spray, lotion, wipes). You do not want to choose a product that contains both sunscreen and an insect repellent. Sunscreen should be applied about every two hours, and bug spray should be applied far less frequently. I recommend applying the insect repellent with my hands rather than trying to spray a young child who is a moving target. I even put the bug spray on those precious bald baby heads (if over 2 months). At the end of the day, make sure to wash off the insect repellent. Bath time for all!
26 August
2021 | 61°north
