Do you recommend using insect repellents to protect my baby from mosquitoes?

• Yes! For babies 2 months and older we recommend using products with DEET. DEET has been tested and found to be very safe for young infants.
• DEET is preferred over other “natural” remedies which are often less effective or have not been studied on young children.
• When going for walks with a stroller you can use a mosquito net that covers the entire car seat and creates a physical barrier around your baby so you may not have to use a repellent.

How should I apply DEET insect repellents on my child? 

• We recommend only applying DEET once per day and using the lower DEET concentrations of 10-30%. Higher DEET concentrations over 30% are not shown to be more effective.
• Avoid applying it to the face and hands of young children and wash your child’s skin when you go inside.
• Do not use insect repellents combined with sunscreen as this leads to overuse of insect repellents.

How do I manage mosquito and other bug bites?

• Despite your best-efforts bug bites are inevitable!
• While bug bites in children tend to swell up very quickly (especially around the eyes and ears) the bite will generally look much better in 2-3 days.
• If the bite is itchy, you can give Children’s Benadryl (1 tsp or 5 ml for children over 25 pounds and 1/2 tsp or 2.5 ml for children between 12-24 pounds) and apply a cool compress as needed for comfort. You can also use any adult topical itch creams like cortisone ointment and/or aloe.
• Please contact us if the swelling is not getting better after 2-3 days, if your child develops a fever, or you still have concerns.