
Written by Editorial Team
Remember the countless times you have shooed or slapped away those little flying creatures trying to feast on your blood? Mosquito bites in babies are not a simple thing. That weightless phantom buzzing around your ear is not only irritating but can be dangerous enough to spread diseases such as dengue, encephalitis, malaria, and chikungunya.
It’s important not to ignore their bites since they may cause allergies, infections, and fever in your baby. In a tropical country like India, completely avoiding mosquitoes seems like a distant dream. So your best bet would be to minimize the chances that your precious little one gets stung by these bloodsucking creatures.
In This Article
A baby can be attacked by pesky mosquitoes while playing outdoors, even if you keep a check inside your house. Ankles, necks, hands, and face are the most common body parts where mosquitoes usually bite. These bites can be uncomfortable for the baby because of the swelling and constant itching.
Sometimes, mosquito bites can cause serious diseases to the baby. Mosquito bites cannot be completely avoided, but prevented to a large extent, and as parents, you will need to be proactive and vigilant.
Look for the following signs/symptoms of mosquito bites and how to protect your baby from those pesky brutes:
Seek immediate medical attention if below mentioned aggravated symptoms appear
Young children are attacked more by mosquitoes because they make easy prey and are not aware of how to deal with them. Plus, they are sweet too! The most common reasons children often get bitten by mosquito bites are:
Treating mosquito bites in babies would involve 3 basic steps as enlisted below:
Once the baby is bitten, the area would swell, so you would need to eliminate swelling in the first go. A cold compress works rather fine, and so does perfume or deodorant that contains aluminum chloride. This will help in reducing the itch caused by the mosquito bite as well as the size of the bite.
Mosquito bites are itchy, and it is difficult to keep from scratching. These insects feast on our blood and then leave residual saliva on the skin, which causes itching. You can use calamine lotions readily available in the house to reduce and eliminate itching. You will also need to discourage scratching (that’s actually the tough part). Cut your child’s nails shorter so that he cannot scratch the bite area thus minimizing infections.
Signs of infections, redness, swelling, fever, vomiting, or nausea indicate a serious underlying condition, and you should seek your doctor’s advice as soon as possible
Following are some of the effective remedies for mosquito bites in babies:
It’s better to consult the pediatrician before applying antibiotic creams, especially if there is any discharge or blisters. Again, if there are too many bites, it’s best to consult a medic since it may become terribly itchy and infected!
In addition to Vaseline and toothpaste, tea tree oil, lemon, onion, and mint leaves are also effective remedies. Although these may sting a bit, they are antiseptic and work favorably to distract your little one from itching.
Here are some effective and safe home remedies for mosquito bites in babies:
Your infant may ignore the repeated warnings to cease scratching those bites, it will be better to clip his nails so as to prevent any infections from scratching. Also, practice the following preventive measures against mosquito bites and stings in babies.
Seek your child’s doctors’ advice if you notice any redness, swelling, or signs of infections, which can be indicative of dangerous diseases that mosquitoes often carry. So protect your child from mosquitoes and let him enjoy his childhood without any irritating buzzing and bites!
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
R
Rekha Reddy
Apr 04, 2016
Mosquito Nets really help a lot. My kids are safe and sound.
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