Insect stings and bites: advice on how to protect your children

17 September 2014

The summer brings with it many irritating insects that annoy us with their stings. Here are a number of recommendations on how to protect your children during the summer holidays.
Mosquitoes are of course the first insect that comes to mind. Contrary to insects of the Hymenoptera family (wasps, hornets and beets), mosquito bites do not cause serious anaphylatic reactions. At the most, more sensitive people may get large annoying wheals. The Tiger mosquitoes that have started to colonise Italy, above all the central-Eastern area of the Po Valley, may however sometimes transmit a viral disease called Chikungunya, whose symptoms are very similar to those of flu, with high fever, shivers, headache, nausea and vomiting and above all joint pain and stiffness (Chikungunya in Swahili means that which bends up”). Most of the symptoms last just a few days, but joint pain and stiffness may last many months.
Contrary to “normal” mosquitoes, Tiger mosquitoes will sting us during the day, above all outdoors, and are very aggressive. Adults are resistant to most insecticides while larvae and the eggs that the females lay in pooling water in watering cans or potted plant trays and even on the surface of dry containers, survive even the coldest winters.
How to protect your children from mosquito stings
1. When you are outdoors, especially after sunset but even during the day in green areas infested by mosquitoes, dress your children in light-coloured thickish long sleeved clothes and long pants and do not use perfumes of any kind.
2. Mosquito nets: there are mosquito nets of many kinds – for windows, cots or beds. They are a risk-free and very efficient form of protection, but you should always check for holes and ensure that mosquitoes do not become trapped in the net.
3. Electric tablet and liquid mosquito repellent diffusers and mosquito coils: these are efficient but should not be used indoors when children are present and rooms should be well ventilated before use. They may also be placed next to open windows and doors to repel mosquitoes.
4. Mosquito repellents. Remember that armbands and bracelets soaked in mosquito repellent and ultrasound devices are completely useless; the only sure way to protect your children is to use a mosquito repellent suitable for children whose efficiency depends on the product and concentration. The most efficient/safe mosquito repellent seems to be Citrodiol which may also be used on very small children (from 3 months onwards). Picridina and DEET (diethyltoluamide) are just as efficient but are suitable only for older children (above 2 and 12). IR3535, which however provides only a half hour of protection, may also be used on children above 2. Citronella may be used to protect children of any age but its effect lasts for no more than 20 minutes, unless very high concentrations are used, which often irritate the skin.

When applying the product follow the instructions on the packet very carefully. In general however, these are the rules to follow:
• Do not apply mosquito repellent on children under 2 years of age, since they may touch their skin and then put rub their eyes, causing irritation
• Do not apply mosquito repellent on cuts, scratches or irritated skin, eyes and mouth.
• Do not spray the repellent on the face but rub on the product with your hands
• Apply the mosquito repellent only on exposed skin or on clothes, but not under clothes.
• Keep the product out of your child’s reach.
• Use only the amount of product required to cover exposed skin, without applying large amounts of product since this does not increase efficiency
• In the case of heavy sweating, re-apply the product
• When you come home, wash treated skin treated with soap and water or give your child a bath, above all if the repellent has been applied repeatedly during the day.
• In the case of skin irritation, wash skin immediately with soap and water and call the nearest poison’s centre or your GP.
• If you are applying the repellent with a sun filter, only DEET-based products are undoubtedly compatible.
Mosquitoes are generally less frequent and aggressive in mountain areas, above all at altitudes of one thousand metres above sea level and in dry and well ventilated climates. In these areas however there is a different and in some cases dangerous hazard: ticks or arthropods that live in the underbrush and shrubs and stick to the skin where they may suck blood for days without causing irritation or pain, so that you may not notice them.
Generally ticks will only cause swelling in the bite area but some species (Ixodes scapularis) may transmit serious diseases like the Lyme Disease. These ticks are very common in pre-Alpine and Central-Eastern Alpine areas, above all in woody areas with high grass and dead leaves. Here are some rules to protect your children:
• During excursions walk at the centre of the path
• Always wear ankle-high lace-up shoes, long pants (tucked into your shoes) and a long-sleeved shirt (tucked into your pants), which should if possible be light-coloured in order to see ticks easily.
• If you take a break, do not place backpacks and clothes on infested areas and always check them carefully before putting them on again.
• Apply a repellent containing 20%-30% DEET on your clothes (but not on your skin), or better still Permethrin.
• When you get back, before going into your house, check clothes carefully to remove any ticks
• When you get home, check exposed and unexposed skin carefully, including your scalp, and remove any ticks you may find.