They are as much a part of summer as the sun, ice cream and strawberry cake: buzzing insects that can become a real nuisance. And when they bite, mosquitoes, wasps and other insects don't stop at babies and small children.
The youngest children are even more likely to be the target of insect attacks. This is because babies and small children make even more uncontrolled movements, which can make bees or wasps feel attacked and then think they have to defend themselves. And small children do not yet realise that a six-legged danger can sit on a drinking cup or a piece of apple. In addition, the same amount of insect venom has a different effect on an adult than on a baby or child's body, which is many times lighter. This means that the symptoms of a wasp sting, for example, are much more pronounced in a (small) child.
What types of insects do babies and small children encounter?
There are basically two groups of insects that pose a potential stinging hazard.
On the one hand, there are those with venomous sting: Bees, wasps, hornets and Bumblebees inject a poisonous protein cocktail when they sting. They sting when they feel threatened. Hectic wagging or even swatting at them "provokes" the wasps. Unlike bees, they can sting several times. If a bee stings in self-defence, its stinger gets stuck in a person's skin by a barb and the animal dies.
Hornets belong to the wasp family. You may also remember the old saying "Seven hornet stings can kill a horse and three can kill a person". This is, of course, complete rubbish! Hornets may be impressively large, but they are basically peace-loving. They are also not interested in sweet foods. Their venom is even less concentrated than that of bees. However, a hornet releases a larger amount of venom than its relatives. Ultimately, the effect of a hornet sting is comparable to that of a bee sting. Bumblebees, or more precisely: only female bumblebees, can also sting. However, this only happens rarely.
And then there are the insects that sting in order to Blood to suck. It is only the females that need certain proteins from their host's blood to reproduce. The bloodsuckers that we deal with most frequently are, of course, the Mosquitoes. They injected their saliva into our skin. This allows certain proteins contained in the saliva to enter our bodies. These in turn are attacked by the body's own immune cells, causing the injection site to swell, itch and redden. Only a few millimetres in size Blackfly can easily be mistaken for a fly. However, black flies do not bite, but merely scratch the skin a little with their mouthparts and then suck blood, which collects in the wound. Also Brakes do not sting, but bite with their mouthparts to get at our blood. However, this bite can be very painful.
Not to be forgotten are the Tickswhich also scratch the skin of their victims with their mouthparts in order to suck blood. However, they are not insects, but arachnids with their eight legs. You can find out more about ticks here read on my blog.
What should you do if your child has an insect bite?
An insect bite or sting can be recognised by a round swelling around the bite or sting site, which may be reddened and/or warm. It is also itchy or painful.
CoolingStings from insects with venomous stings such as wasps, bees and the like can be quite painful. Cooling the sting site helps to reduce pain and swelling. To prevent cold damage to the skin, it is better to use cool packs from the fridge. Wrap a cloth around ice packs from the freezer before placing them on the skin. Incidentally, this doesn't just apply to children's sensitive skin.
Reduce swelling: As an old household remedy, the Raw onion proven. Half an onion is rubbed into the bite site or cooled for a while by placing the onion on the wound. A mosquito bite gel that is approved for babies and children should not be missing from the first-aid kit for children. The following gel, which is also approved for babies, is suitable Insectolin Gel. It contains herbal active ingredients and is also suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women who want relief from insect bites.
Anthistamine preparationsTo alleviate the symptoms, apply a suitable antihistamine gel from the pharmacy to your child's skin. However, make sure that the gel is suitable for (small) children. Stored in the fridge, the soothing effect of the gel is even more effective. There are also antihistamine drops for oral use. They are authorised for children from the age of one.
Ointments containing cortisone are also available as stronger preparations for stubborn inflammations and the like. However, these may not for babies and children! Their skin is simply still too thin for these "heavy guns", and they would do more harm than good.
Electronic stitch healerThis is a kind of battery-operated pen, the end of which is held on the puncture site. The device heats up to around 50 degrees and thus also the skin. In this way, the protein that the mosquito or similar has injected is destroyed. Ultimately, this stops the itching and swelling because the immune cells no longer have to fight the insect protein.
This device may be effective for adults and older children to prevent inflammation - but Not suitable for babies and small childrenas it is too hot for their sensitive skin.
The home remedy of placing a heated teaspoon on the puncture site follows the same principle of protein destruction by heat. This must also not be used on babies and small children. It is almost impossible to control the exact temperature of a heated teaspoon. This is why there is also a risk of burning for adults.
Disinfect: The wounds caused by the bite of horse flies and black flies should be disinfected as soon as possible. A commercially available Wound disinfectant spray. This should be in your Medicine cabinet for children should not be missing. It is important not to scratch even "harmless" mosquito bites in order to avoid infection. This risk is rather low with babies as they are not yet able to scratch themselves.
Remove the spike: The venom blister is located on the stuck stinger of a bee. To reduce the risk of it emptying (further) into the body, remove the stinger with a suitable Tweezers - not with your fingers or fingernails.
In principle, there is not much that can be done about insect venom that has already entered the body, apart from alleviating the symptoms. However, if the venom triggers an allergic reaction, it can become dangerous and rapid medical assistance may be required. Read more about this below.
When can an insect bite become dangerous?
In most cases, you can treat an insect sting/bite well and successfully yourself. In certain cases, however, you should consult a doctor:
In case of allergic reaction: An allergic reaction can only occur to the insect venom that enters the body. For example, to bee or wasp stings, but not to mosquito bites. It is estimated that around 3 % of people in this country have an allergic reaction to insect venom. This can be characterised by shortness of breath, racing pulse, nausea, cold and clammy skin, fever, chills, hoarseness, dizziness or a rash all over the body. In the worst case, anaphylactic shock can occur, causing the cardiovascular system to collapse. Then there is a danger to life! Fortunately, however, this only happens rarely.
However, do not hesitate to call the emergency services on 112 if you notice any signs of an allergic reaction in your child. Severe reddening, severe swelling and severe itching are, however none allergic reaction to an insect bite/sting. These are the usual - albeit intense - physical reactions.
Where an allergy to insect venom is known, an appropriate emergency kit should be kept within reach at all times. This contains a fast-acting antihistamine for immediate treatment, a cortisone preparation and an adrenaline injection to stabilise the circulation.
To be able to react correctly and calmly in such an emergency situation, you should have learnt and practised the necessary assistance measures. This Online first aid course also shows you how to correctly assess insect bites and allergic reactions in your child.
Sting in the face and mouth: A sting in the face or mouth can be particularly dangerous for babies and small children. Especially in the mouth and throat, a bee or wasp sting can block the airways due to the swelling of the sting site. As a first aid measure, you can give your child an ice cube to suck on. If your little one is not yet able to handle this, cool cloths from the outside can also help against the swelling. However, give your child nothing to drink, because it could choke on it now. An emergency doctor should also be called here. They can administer a medication that will quickly relieve the swelling.
If the tongue has become thick due to a sting, ice or a clean, cold, wet flannel that you can place on the affected area will also help - provided you can reach it easily.
It is also important that you stay calm now. If your child senses your excitement and nervousness, they will become more restless themselves and their breathing will become (even) more restless. Try to calm them down so that your child's breathing remains as calm as possible.
How can you prevent insect bites and stings?
You can already do a lot for your child by using passive protection against insect bites. You can't completely prevent encounters with mosquitoes and the like, but you can make it more difficult for the six-legged contemporaries. Here's how:
Suitable clothing: Bright colours and large patterns attract insects. Yellow is particularly attractive to them. So it's better to opt for light-coloured, airy (cotton) clothing. All the better if this also covers your child's arms and little legs, as this provides additional protection. A sun hat not only protects against UV radiation, but also against stings, at least on the top of the head.
Insect nets: To prevent mosquitoes and other insects from entering the home in the first place, insect nets can be installed in front of windows and balcony or patio doors. For on the go or when travelling there are Mosquito netsthat can be attached to the car seat, pushchair or buggy, for example, or to the Travel cot can be attached.
The right way to deal with wasps: Wasps in particular love sweets and are magically attracted to drinks, ice cream, cakes, fruit and similar foods. So make sure you provide appropriate protection. This means: put a lid on drinks cups, use drinking straws or drinking bottles, cover food. And make sure that there are no insects on the spoon or the food your child is eating.
To repel wasps, please neither wave wildly nor blow at the animal! This makes wasps downright aggressive. A flower spray bottle that sprays a fine mist of water in the direction of the wasp has proved effective. This signals to the wasp: It's raining, I'd better fly on.
Fragrances: You often read the advice that wasps, bees and others don't like the scent of lavender, cloves or lemons. It may be worth a try, but you shouldn't expect miracles from it. If you want to try the "scent defence", avoid using essential oils directly on the child. This is because they can irritate the mucous membranes of babies and toddlers or cause allergic reactions.
Repellents: Protective sprays and rub-on products that are applied to the skin to keep mosquitoes at bay are usually Not suitable for children under two years of age! However, the so-called repellents all contain chemical ingredients that can not only irritate the mucous membranes of very young children, but can also trigger allergic reactions. For the same reason, alternative products based on essential oils are not suitable for very young children. Approved by the manufacturer from 6 months this preparation. However, it also contains essential oils. From the first birthday, the Antibrumm Kids-InsectsrpayFurthermore, these defence measures are just as ineffective against biting insects as mosquito wristbands.
Electronic mosquito repellents, which vaporise chemical agents to keep mosquitoes away, can also be harmful to health. This applies to adults and even more so to children. If you have children, it is better to keep your hands off the so-called mosquito coils that are burnt outdoors.
