Free Medical Articles

An insect bite or sting is a painful experience for anyone, and will come as a nasty shock to your baby or toddler. While stings are more dangerous, bites from mosquitoes or horseflies can be a persistent problem in certain parts of the country. The following tips can help soothe your child during the spring and summer months.

Bee and wasp stings

 

• If your child is stung by a bee, both the sting and its poison sac will remain embedded in her skin. Take care when removing the sting not to squeeze the sac, which will release more poison into the skin. Scrape the sting out with a clean fingernail or the edge of a credit card rather than using tweezers. 
• A wasp sting is similar to that of a bee, but the sting and poison sac are rarely left behind. Wasps can sting repeatedly; bees sting once only. 

Symptoms

 

• Bee and wasp stings are painful, but the effects are usually temporary and any swelling or tenderness, disappears within a few hours.
• Stings to the inside of the mouth need prompt medical attention, because any swelling could obstruct your child's airway. Call a doctor, and give your child cold drinks or, if she is aged two or over, an ice-cube to suck until she receives treatment. 

Treating bee and swap sting

 

• Apply a cold compress or an ice pack wrapped in a tea-towel to reduce swelling. 
• Apply an antihistamine cream to reduce the skin reaction, checking the instructions carefully. 
• If necessary, give your child the appropriate dose of infant paracetamol (not suitable for babies under six months unless prescribed by your GP).

 NOTE: do not use antihistamine cream or give paracetamol to a child other than your own without parental permission.

 

Jellyfish stings

 

Jellyfish stings are relatively rare and most are not serious.

Symptoms

 

Red swelling with pain and irritation, with shards of jellyfish tentacles still stuck to the skin.

 

What to do

 

Ensure that there are no pieces of jellyfish left on the skin by washing with sea-water. Ideally, hold an icepack over the stung area for 10 minutes to ease the pain and swelling.

·        A sting from a warm-water jellyfish, such as a Portuguese man-of-war, should be washed with vinegar or sea-water. Keep your child as still as possible and call the emergency services.

 

As well as soothing creams, a child over six months of age can be given infant paracetamol to ease the pain of a sting or bite.

 

BITES

 

Mosquitoes and gnats

 

Mosquitoes tend to congregate where there is shade and moisture; standing water is needed for them to reproduce. They become airborne at sunrise or sunset on calm and humid days. Fine mesh netting over a baby carrycot or pushchair can help deter them. 

Symptoms

 

·        A red itchy weal with a white centre and a small puncture mark.

What to do

 

Apply an appropriate after-bite milk or cream (seek advice from your pharmacist). Alternatively, apply an antihistamine cream. It is important to reduce the itching, as scratching can turn mosquito bites septic. If bites become infected, apply an appropriate antiseptic cream and consult your  doctor.

 

If you are planning to visit a country where malaria is a risk, get advice from your doctor about preventative treatment well before you travel. Malaria is carried and transmitted by mosquitoes.

 

Horseflies

Horseflies give particularly nasty bites and suck the blood of their victim.

Symptoms

A painful local reaction and swelling that lasts for a few hours.

 

What to do

 

Apply a cold compress or an icepack wrapped in a tea-towel. Treat with an appropriate antihistamine cream (ask your pharmacist for advice).

 

Fleas

 

Flea bites are usually mild, and may occur when a household pet becomes infested.

 

Symptoms

 

Small itchy red spots or weal’s, usually on the arms or legs.

 

What to do

 

Apply calamine lotion or camomile cream (available in pharmacies and health-food shops). More importantly, treat your pets for fleas and spray any infested furniture and carpets. Wash pet bedding.

 

Beat the bugs

 

To prevent bites and stings, apply a repellent cream to any exposed areas of your child's skin before going outside. 

Dress your child in loose-weave natural fabrics with long sleeves and long trousers whenever possible, but especially in the evenings if you are in a hot country. Pay attention to socks and hats but avoid brightly coloured clothes. 

If you are travelling abroad, use a plug-in mosquito machine at night. These are available from chemists and come with sachets or tablets of repellent, which slot into the machine. 

Avoid taking sweet foods and drinks out of doors where wasps are prevalent. Use clear drink containers rather than cans, so you can see if a wasp has got inside. 

If a wasp approaches your child, wave it away calmly. Discourage her from running away from it, especially if she is brandishing sweet food: a wasp is more likely to sting if antagonised. 

You can apply the cut side of an onion to a bee or wasp sting if you don't have a medical cream to hand. 

Bites and stings first aid

 

Insect bites and stings respond well to treatment. Here are some basic items to keep in your first-aid box to help prevent as well as treat bites and stings. Remember, you can use these products on your own children only:

 

·        Insect repellent formulated for babies, available from high-street chemist.

·        Infant paracemol.

·        Appropriate anti histamine cream (ask your pharmacist advice).

·        Appropriate after-bite milk or cream (again, seek advice from your pharmacist)

·        Calamine lotion

·        Aloe Vera gel

·        Camomile cream

·        Local anaesthetic gel

·        Adrenaline kit (If there is a family history of allergies or if your child is already know to be allergic to stings).

 

For  More  Information:  Please  consult  your  physician  on  your  next  visit.