Mosquito safety: preventing bites and mosquito-borne illnesses in babies

Expert tips for preventing mosquito bites

Dr Rowan Goldstein, a specialist paediatrician in Johannesburg, says that parents should use a mosquito net as the first line of defence, while Dr Hassina Ebrahim, a paediatrician based in Johannesburg, shares more ways to prevent mosquito bites, including:

• Consider time spent outdoors: “Avoid outdoor play and water at specific times. If your kids want to play outside or at the beach or pool, avoid dawn, dusk or nighttime, which is when mosquitoes are more active,” advises Dr Ebrahim. 

• Cover skin with clothing: “Mosquitoes have a harder time biting through clothing, so dress babies and kids in long pants, long sleeves, hats with netting, socks and closed-toe shoes.”

• Keep cool: “For older kids, in particular, mosquito bites could be a result of sweating as the bugs are attracted to the smell. Keep your little ones cool and hydrated throughout the day.”

• Use unscented detergent and soaps: “Mosquitoes and other bugs may be more attracted to sweet or perfumy smells.”

• Clean up around your home: Parents can take further steps to reduce the presence of mosquitoes close to home, such as cleaning up around the house or on the property. “Besides the obvious water sources, such as pools, rivers and beaches, mosquitoes can make their home in any type of water, especially standing water. Check around your home or property and be sure to empty and clean up clogged gutters, wading pools, birdbaths, firepits, flowerpots and anything else that collects waters,” she shares. 

Should I apply a mosquito repellent to my child’s skin?

“One common and effective active ingredient in many insect repellents is DEET, and it’s important to follow some guidelines about the use of DEET-containing products and insect repellents in general,” says Dr Ebrahim, highlighting that no products containing DEET should be used on babies under two months old. 

“Apply insect repellent sparingly on babies and children, and make sure any repellent you use contains no more than 30% DEET,” she adds. And while use of insect repellent is safe within guidelines, Dr Ebrahim adds these points:

• Avoid applying it on specific areas of the skin, especially the face and hands, a sunburn, any type of rash, or cuts and wounds.

• Wash off the repellent with soap and water upon returning home.

How can you ease their itchiness at home?

“Gently wash the bite with soap and water to keep the skin clean and reduce the risk of infection. A cold compress or an ice pack wrapped in a cloth can help calm the itch and bring down swelling,” says Dr Goldstein.

“For extra relief, soothing creams such as calamine lotion, aloe vera gel or a paste made from oatmeal can be safely applied to children’s skin. Always check with a trusted health professional about dosing and before giving any medication. One should see a paediatrician if your child develops widespread hives, swelling of the lips or eyes, difficulty breathing or a fever and rash after a mosquito bite,” he adds.

Beware of malaria areas

Dr Ebrahim says that if you are planning on travelling to a malaria area with your family, steer clear of high-risk areas, especially if you:

• Are pregnant

• Have children under the age of five years

• Are immunocompromised. 

Dr Goldstein advises parents to avoid travel to malaria areas, especially over the high-risk season. “If one is going to travel, we would recommend taking anti-malarial prophylaxis (the child needs to be over one year old and weigh more than 11kg),” he says, noting that there are no registered vaccines for the prevention of malaria as of now. 

IMAGE: freepik.com