Did you know that some people attract mosquitoes more than others?
And children do tend to attract mosquitoes more than adults. In this video I’m going
to give you some tips on how to identify mosquito bites in babies and children,
safe and effective ways to treat them, and the best ways to prevent them.
First let’s start off by talking about the appearance of mosquito bites versus other
insect bites. Of course if you see the mosquito on your child, then it’s easy to be certain where
the bite came from. But sometimes you will only notice the bites hours later or the next day,
and you might not be sure if it’s from a mosquito or another insect. I’m going
to mention several other insect bites that may appear similar, and how to differentiate them.
Mosquito bites can vary in size based on the child's natural reaction to the mosquito’s saliva.
But in general they show up as small, raised, round, areas of swelling that are initially white
or light-pink in color and then turn red. They tend to show up on parts of the body that are not
covered by clothing. And the mosquito bites can be very itchy, especially the first day or two.
If there are multiple bites, they tend to show up in a random pattern.
Bites from bed bugs are sometimes mistaken for mosquito bites. Some children will develop raised,
red, itchy bumps, while others experience swelling and pain in the areas where they were bitten.
Unlike mosquito bites, they often follow more of a pattern of several bites clustered together
or in a line. Bites from bed bugs usually take place during the night while the child
is sleeping, and also tend to show up in areas that were not covered by clothing,
although they can burrow under clothing and bite areas that were covered up. Bed bug
bites can show up hours to days later, whereas mosquito bites show up quickly after the bite.
Flea bites are also sometimes mistaken for mosquito bites.
Similar to bed bug bites, flea bites show up as red bumps that appear in clusters or lines.
However they’re distinctively small and oftentimes have a reddish halo surrounding the center of the
bite. The most common places to find them include the legs or ankles. But they can
also be found around the waist, the folds of the elbows and knees, and the armpit and groin area.
Sometimes it is hard to figure out if the bites are from mosquitos,
bed bugs or fleas. But the great news is that they all respond to the same treatment approach.
So with that said, let’s talk about how to treat mosquito bites.
As soon as you notice mosquito bites on your child, if you have rubbing alcohol, use some to
swab over the area of the insect bite, as it may reduce the body’s response to the protein in the
mosquito’s saliva, which is the actual thing that triggers the body to react. If you’re able to get
your child to cooperate for 5 to 10 minutes, put a cool compress or something cold onto the bite
site to decrease the swelling and inflammation. It’s ideal to prevent your child from scratching
at the bite, since that can irritate or break the skin and lead to a skin infection. Of course this
is easier said than done. I’m going to mention some things that have been found to be effective.
Arnica oil is made from a plant and is a natural option. The anti-inflammatory and pain relieving
properties can help decrease swelling and speed up the healing process. Other good options
include calamine lotion and over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream. If your child is still
having a lot of itching even with you applying the topical treatments two to three times a day,
another thing you can try to help decrease the itch is to mix a small amount of baking soda
with just enough water to create a paste. Apply it directly to the bites, and after about 10 minutes,
wash it off. Follow up with applying either arnica oil, calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream.
Regardless of which one you choose to use, continue to apply it two to three times daily
until symptoms go away to get maximum benefit. To help prevent your child from scratching at the
bites or getting the topical treatments onto their hands and then into the mouth or eyes,
it’s helpful to cover the bites with bandaids. In situations where your child is very uncomfortable
from swelling and itching, it’s fine to give an over-the-counter antihistamine medication like
children’s zyrtec or benadryl. I have links for all the items I just mentioned in the description
below, if you’d like to check them out. Some children develop a more severe reaction
to mosquito bites. Typically within hours of getting the bite, they develop a large area of
skin swelling, warmth, redness, and itching. If this is the case for your child, and there are
no fevers, chills, and your child is otherwise well appearing, it’s best to be proactive and
try to minimize the reaction by starting your child on a children’s antihistamine medication
like children’s zyrtec or benadryl. Continue to give the antihistamine medication at the interval
that’s recommended for several days until the symptoms begin to resolve. The dose of some
of the children’s antihistamine medications are weight dependent, and others are age dependent.
The frequency at which they should be given also varies. So it’s best for you to find out from
your child’s healthcare provider the best dose and frequency for your child. Also do the other things
that I mentioned regarding the care of the bites to keep them clean and help decrease the itching.
If symptoms continue to get worse, even with giving the antihistamine medication
and applying topical treatments several times a day, then you should have your
child seen by a healthcare provider. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if the
area of swelling and redness is due to a severe reaction to the mosquito bite,
irritation from the child scratching at it vigorously, or if there’s a skin infection
starting to brew. Whenever there are skin breaks, especially from scratching, it gives the bacteria
that naturally live on our skin an opportunity to get in and start an infectious process.
Some warning signs include the skin becoming more red and warm, and the area of redness and swelling
beginning to spread. In more severe cases there can be chills or fever. If you are noticing any
of these symptoms, have your child evaluated. Now let’s talk about how to prevent mosquito
bites, or at least the things you can do to decrease your child’s risk of getting bitten.
For babies that are younger than 2 months, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not
recommend the application of insect repellent. If you will be outdoors in an area where mosquitos
are prevalent, placing a mosquito net over the baby carrier or stroller is effective.
Since mosquitos are weak fliers, the use of a fan has been shown to help keep them away.
There are battery operated fans that you can clip onto the stroller and set to gently blow towards
your child. On a hot summer day not only will it help keep your baby cool, but it will also
serve to deter mosquitoes from flying close by. Covering the skin by having your child wear
long pants and a lightweight long-sleeve shirt, socks and closed shoes will limit the amount of
skin that’s exposed for a potential bite. For children that are 2 months and older,
the most effective defense against mosquito bites is considered to be insect repellent. There are
multiple active ingredients in insect repellents that have been approved as safe and long lasting,
and they include picaridin, DEET, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus and nootkatone.
In the description below I’ve included links to repellents that meet this criteria,
if you’d like to check them out. I know that a lot of parents are concerned about using a
chemical repellent on their child, and look for more natural options. Oil of lemon eucalyptus
is a plant based repellent, and is a great natural option. However it’s only recommended
to be used in children 3 years and older. More recently nootkatone was approved as an effective
and safe active ingredient for insect repellants. It’s a naturally occurring compound in grapefruit,
which actually gives it the distinctive smell and taste. Mosquitos and other insects don’t
seem to like the smell or taste of it. Repellents made with nootkatone as their active ingredient
are estimated to be available for purchase by 2022. There have also been more repellents
containing essential oils showing up on the market. The main concern about them
is that they lose effectiveness quicker. When applying a repellant, be sure to read the
label and follow the directions and precautions. Apply just enough to cover your child’s clothing
and exposed skin. Using more doesn’t necessarily make the repellent more effective. Be sure
to spray the repellent in an open, well ventilated area to avoid breathing it in.
If your child is young, be sure that you’re the one applying the repellent, and never spray it
directly onto your child’s face or onto any cuts, wounds or areas of skin irritation.
Once your child returns indoors, wash the skin with soap and water to remove any repellent.
This would also be a good time for you to check the skin to see if your child got any bites.
If so, you now know what you can do to minimize the redness and itchiness,
and get them to resolve quicker. See you in the next video.