My 1y/o has been bitten several times in the last week. The bites turn into dime sized welts and the fill with small blisters. The itching isn't bothering him too much but they seem to be taking a long time to heal. Any suggestions for prevention and the bites themselves would be helpful. His dr. said...."I wouldn't worry too much"... maybe he's right! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/confused.gif

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i'm having this same problem with my 2 yr old-i even applied a benadryl cream to them but to no avail-they are finally starting to fade after a week-i found a mosquito repellant at walmart that doesn't contain deet-i hope it works-it is made from off and is called botanicals-i get nervous using this on her but you just don't know what to do

You could buy "OFF" in the children's strength. Just read the back of the bottle to make sure your child's age fits within the recommended limits. I've used this before for my children when the mosquitos are particularly aggressive, and also if I know they are going to be outdoors for a long time in the evening during mosquito season. (If you camp, this is BIG help!!) Just as a silly mom precaution, I always try to bathe them THAT night BEFORE they go to bed. I don't like the idea of them sleeping with that bug spray on them, but that's just me.

Hi scmom~
Welcome! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif

My 3 y/o daughter is a little allergic to mosquito bites and she gets these welts all over her. Unfortuately, it is almost impossible to avoid being in the mosquitos where we live! I like to give a little oral benadryl to keep her from scratching. I also like to put some Benadryl ointment on and put a bandaid. If not, she will scratch and dig at it until it causes scabs.

For prevention, I like the Avon Skin-So-Soft sunscreen/insect repellent. It repels mosquitos, fleas and ticks.It says on the back that it is ok for children over 6m (younger need to check with dr). I really like it because it works well, includes sunscreen and it comes in different scents. I think they even have one now that is blue when you apply it so you can see where you missed. Hope something helps!

Sounds like me when I was a kid but mine would swell up to the size of a half dollar. I am not sure what my mother did back then but I know you can use benadryl cream on them or try a paste or baking soda and water. To help prevent them you can try some dilute tea tree oil sprayed on lightly.

When I was a child I had to take Rx Benadryl (obviously this was before it was OTC) for the exact same thing, only my bites would swell to between a 2-4 in diameter. I once got bit at the corner of my eye and my eye swelled completely shut.

It is an allergic reaction, and topical creams will not reduce the swelling, only the itching. To reduce the swelling you need to give her an antihistimine. There really isnt anything else you can do for the bites, and unless she gets a huge amount of them in a short time, they are not dangerous, just uncomfortable.

As for preventing them, try to keep her indoors at and after dusk. If you plan on being near water (lakes, rivers, ponds, etc) or in the mountains, make sure to use a child-friendly insect repellant. You have to put it not only on exposed skin, but all over, because mosquitos can bite thru most cloth.

I hope that helps!

I forgot to add, if she ever gets stung by a bee, be prepared for large localized swelling. For some reason the two go hand in hand. As a child, stepping on a bee would cause swelling of my whole foot and ankle, and once even as far up as my knee! But aside from the pain and itching, I never had any serious reaction.

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Angel, et al

[This message has been edited by fntsyangel (edited 05-16-2003).]

Ftnsyangel: If you have had swelling as far as the knee from a bee sting I urge you get checked for allergies or at least see the doc and get an epi kit as the next bee sting could be fatal. When stung by a bee the sting can be fatal enough to kill you in about 5 minutes. That isn't even enough time to hardly phone 911. A friend of the family had no clue he was allergic to bees and was dead in a matter of about 5 minutes when he was stung. Just because your reaction wasn't real serious yet doesn't mean the next one won't be fatal. Take proper precautions now.

mlgable,

I thank you for your concern. The occasion I refer to, I was stung by a ground bee, rather than a honey bee, thus the severe reaction on that occasion. I have since been stung by a regular honey bee (twice, in fact) and had the more localized. A doctor has confirmed that I simply have an unusually high histamine response to insects. My father has the same. Now, I just do my best to stay away from them because I am a big sissy about the pain and itching.

I do realize how very lucky I am, because I have 2 children with allergies, one who is only 5 months old who has a deadly allergy to milk. If it make you feel better on my behalf, we have 4 epi jr's in our house just in case anyone ever has a severe response to anything again.

I thank you for your concern, and bringing up how important it is to be aware of the possibility of severe reactions. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Angel, et al