Insect Bites and Stings

Insect bites and stings may or may not be a serious problem based on the sensitivity of the child to the particular insect's venom.For most children, it is a minor trouble with the affected area becoming a little red or swollen and causing slight pain and itching. But for some children, the reactions are severe to a level of being fatal, if medical help is not provided immediately.

Mosquito Bites

Mosquitoes are of different types. Some are active in the evening around sunset and early morning when the sun rises. Some others are most active during the day or during the night. They carry disease-causing viruses and parasites from person to person. Therefore mosquito bites that outwardly do not produce symptoms which seem harmful, are the cause of many diseases like malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and chikungunya. Mosquitoes usually breed and bite during the summer months when people spend time outdoors. They usually breed in stagnant dirty water, in dust and dirt in the household caused by dumping of waste materials, and in pools, lakes, bird baths etc.

How does the bite affect children?

Mosquitoes are attracted by bright colours, odours of sweat and other strong odours like that of perfumes, strong-smelling soaps and shampoos. When a mosquito bites, it is like a sudden prick of a needle that is followed by a small red, itchy bump with a very small puncture mark in the centre. This is the general reaction. Presence of mosquitoes in your surroundings and their biting children is a great nuisance. It generally disturbs the baby during sleep and the bite may cause diseases as mentioned above, if the child’s immune system is not able to resist the virus or parasite transmitted during the bite.

Prevention

• Avoid being with your child outdoors when there is likelihood of mosquito bites.
• Dress your child in long sleeved, loose, light coloured clothes covering maximum portion of your body. Avoid wearing bright coloured clothes for your child.
• Use insect repellents which contain very low amount of DEET, on uncovered portion of your child’s skin. Look for the safety instructions on the label of the repellents. If it does not guarantee safety, do not use it on your child.
• Keep your house-hold and the yard clean, particularly without any waste holding water.
• If you grow plants in your yard, see that the seepage of water from the pots is cleared away periodically.
• Use mosquito nets over the child’s bed.
• Use window screens with fine mesh to prevent mosquito entering your rooms.
• A moving fan can prevent mosquitoes from landing.
• Citronella oil or citronella based lotions or creams can also help to keep mosquitoes away but the oil will need reapplication every 4 hours.

Treatment

• A cold compress with ice cubes will help reduce pain and swelling resulting from bites.
• Soothing creams like calamine can be applied to prevent scratching.
• Cortisone cream will help reduce the swelling in the bite area.
• Antihistamines can be used with doctor’s prescription, if itching persists.

Bed Bug Bites

Bed bugs are tiny parasites which feed on the blood of humans and other warm blooded animals. Their habitat is dark, dry places in the house-hold like mattresses, rugs, in the cracks and crevices of cots and other furniture which provide a dwelling place for them. Although they are not strictly nocturnal beings, they are active during night and make a bite on their hosts. The bite of a bed bug is not so painful to awaken the child, but it causes an allergic reaction due to an allergenic substance secreted during the bite. The child develops a pinkish rash, a red bump or mark of a heavy blow. The marks left by the bite are itchy, but not dangerous. Scratching of the bite area can cause skin infections. Bed bugs do not transmit disease from one host to the other. Continued regular bites may lead to anaemia. Bed bugs are a great nuisance, though not so dangerous.

How to eradicate bed bugs

Bed bugs are resistant to pesticides like DDT and organophosphates. The gel-based insecticides have no effect on bedbugs. However, high concentrations of carbon dioxide has proved successful in eradicating bed bugs within 24 hours. A variety of eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus saligna) kills bed bugs and repellents based on eucalyptus are also effective over bed bugs.

Excessive heat (a temperature of above 45 degree Celsius will kill the bugs. To eradicate the whole infestation without leaving the ones that may hide in locations where that much of heat doesn’t reach, temperature of about 49 degree Celsius is recommended. There are devices to kill the bugs in this fashion. Fabric steamers and oven-like devices are available in the market to kill bugs through application of extensive heat.

Treatment

Bed bug bites usually do not need any treatment. If your child scratches over the rashes and this leads to secondary infections, antiseptic lotions or antibiotic ointments can be applied. If the bite produces allergic reactions, your doctor may recommend oral antihistamines and corticosteroid creams.

Bees and Wasps Stings

Stings of bees and wasps are sometimes not so troublesome, but at other times they can be very serious. The severity of the sting is based on a few factors like the type of insect, location of the sting, the number of stings, and the sensitivity of the victim to the venom of the insect. The sting can be very painful to children. The affected area becomes red and swollen and itching. These reactions may spread over a larger area close to the sting site.

More serious symptoms are produced if the child is sensitive to the venom. The symptoms include itchy bumps on the skin and itching over the whole body. Mouth or throat or both become swollen, breathing difficulty, wheezing, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and low blood pressure. In most severe cases, there is greater difficulty in breathing and this may even prove fatal.

Treatment

Immediate medical treatment is necessary once you see the whole body being affected (systemic or allergic reaction) by the sting in a particular area of the body. If your child does not show any allergic reactions, first aid at home would be enough. First stinger left in the skin (usually left by bees) should be removed quickly to prevent release of more venom. You can use a credit card or other thick plastic to safely remove the stinger. Then wash the sting site with soap and water and apply antibiotic ointment over that area. To relieve the pain, place ice cubes in a cloth and apply over the sting site, and also ibuprofen or paracetamol may be taken. To get relief from itching, your doctor may recommend an antihistamine such as Benadryl. Consider a tetanus booster immunization if your last time immunization is already past 10 years.

Preventive Measures

Avoid infested areas, gardens with flowers in full bloom, and near forest areas. Use protective clothing covering most of the body, arms and legs and insect repellents.