The mosquitoes are pesky insects that annoy everyone. The worst, they are always looking for the source of blood during the warm season. The mosquitoes do not decide who to bite or not. They seek their hosts, detecting warmth, skin sweat and movement. Hence, humans and pets are the most attractive to the mosquitoes in cities and towns. Remarkably, they choose babies and infants as their blood hosts more often that adults. It is obvious that children smell some other way, magnetic to the blood-sucking insects. Mosquito bites on kids are regularly occur on hands, neck, face and ankles, as they are exposed to open.
The mosquitoes suck blood, piercing their sharp, thin and elongated mouthparts through the child’s delicate skin. Though, saliva injected into the skin tissue may cause discomfort and develop mosquito bite allergy. Infants start suffer from uncomfortable itching and swelling, which is difficult to deal with. Moreover, great problems occur from scratching the bitten area. When the skin is damaged, it becomes open to skin infections.
How to Prevent your Kid from being bitten by Mosquitoes?
Of course, it is impossible to avoid mosquito bites on kids completely. Though, you can minimize the chances.
First, install nets and screens on windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes entering the home. Moreover, fix anti-mosquito netting over your child’s bed or baby’s crib, cover their car seats and baby strollers to provide safety from bites indoors or outdoors.
Second, use plug-in fumigators before going to bed to eliminate the flying insects.
Third, be more careful of where your child is playing or walking. Choose places away from shrubby areas and stagnant water reservoirs.
Fourth, use personal protective measures (anti-mosquito patches and bracelets, non-deet topical repellents). Note that anti insect products are not recommended for babies under 2 months old. Avoid getting topical repellants in your child’s mouth or eyes.
Moreover, put on your kid light colored clothing. Clothes must cover full arms and legs of your child. Less skin is exposed to open, it is better to avoid mosquito bites.
What Can I Do if My Child has Mosquito Bites on Skin?
1. First aid treatment for Mosquito Bites on kids
If your baby hasn’t already begun to scratch the mosquito bites, your first step should be to clean them with warm soapy water. It is better to take an antibacterial soap and boiled water. Instead, you can use antibacterial wipes for kids. Then, rub the bite with first aid antiseptic lotion. Do not apply products with high consentrations of rubbing alcohol as it may result in skin burn. To sum up, try to keep the affected area clean and dry.
2. Itch relief for mosquito bites on kids
To reduce the itchiness, try using calamine lotion, tea tree oil or fresh aloe vera juice. Both provide quick relief, but the aloe is perfect for bites that have already been scratched, as well.
Moreover, you can use an ice pack or a hot-water bag wrapped in a washcloth or a towel to reduce swelling and stop itching.
3.Home remedies to stop mosquito bites from itching
You can cover the inflamed area of the bite with home remedies, such as, raw honey, toothpaste, minced garlic, puree from onion, crushed basil leaves and brewed black tea bags. Moreover, you can rub lemon yellow rinds, lime juice or banana peels over the mosquito bites on kids.
In addition, mix a paste from baking soda (or salt, meat tenderizer) and distilled/ cooled boiled water. Then, apply a small amount of the mixture directly to the bitten area. Instead, bathing with sea salt and oatmeal is a good remedy as well.
4.How to keep a baby from scratching the bites
It is really difficult to keep your kid from scratching the itchy bites. Though, you can prevent this undesirable action and avoid getting skin infection and scars.
First, cut the child’s fingernails with nail clippers or scissors.
Second, put on their hands socks or golf stockings (knee socks) to avoid scratching at night.
Third, consult your pediatrician what anti-histamine medicine to take to reduce itching sensation.
Allergy and Skin Infection caused by Scratching Mosquito Bites
In fact, mosquito bites can cause severe allergy and irritation that is likely to result in skin bacterial infection due to scratching the itchy swellings. The common symptoms of mosquito bite allergy are red patches, inflammation of the bitten area, lesions, hives and lymphangitis. In the most extreme cases, anaphylaxis may occur and bring along wheezing and swelling of the throat. In life threatening cases of allergy or after-scratching reactions when you observe the symptoms of bacterial skin infection, you must seek help of a pediatrician immediately. The doctor will prescribe an anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial creams to cure inflammation and stop the itching.
Moreover, Chinese antiseptic gel is available over-the-counter first aid for treatment of skin infection and inflammation caused by mosquito bites. Lincomycin stops infection. Lidocaine relieves itching and pain. Apply this Zelenka gel from China directly on the bites in a thin layer 3 times a day. In the case of allergic reaction to the product components (burning sensation, redness or swelling) stop use. Do not apply near/ on eyes. Moreover, this remedy is not intended for newborn babies who are under the age of 1-2 months.
Can my Kid get Saliva-Borne Disease?
If you live in or travel to a country where mosquito-borne diseases are widely-spread and break out regularly, the chances of getting a fever are high. Monitor your child for a week after being bitten. In 3-5 or more days your kid may get sick. If he has such symptoms as skin rash, high or mild fever, fatigue, headache and pain in other parts of the body, sensitivity to light and sound, vomiting, nausea, meningitis and other neurological problems and mental disorders, take your infant to the doctor as soon as possible.
To Call a Doctor or Not?
Monitor the mosquito bites on kids for 24 hours, checking for excessive drainage or swelling that gets severe. Note that localized swelling and redness are normal after getting the bites. Continue treatment of mosquito bites with aloe vera, baking soda paste or some other remedy. In fact, insect bites may take some days to stop itching and several weeks to disappear completely.
However, you should seek medical help immediately if:
There are allergic reactions occurring in other parts of the body at the same time.
Breathing is getting heavier. It is a life threatening sign!
Swelling or itching gets worse or does not reduce after a 24 hours’ time.
The pain and inflammation in the inflamed area does not soothe or subside.
Your kid can’t sleep due to the reaction to mosquito bites.
You observe the symptoms of mosquito-borne viruses in some days after the bite.
You can scare those annoying mosquitoes within minutes with catnip. According to the research done in Iowa State University on how to get rid of mosquito bites,they have found that the kind of essential ingredients found in catnip is 10 times effective than the usual DEET in keeping those mosquitoes away.