When can I apply insect repellents on my baby?
We live in a country where mosquitoes are a real problem. They are everywhere. In your toilet. In your kitchen and even in your car! It's unfortunate that babies tend to get bitten more frequently than adults. This is most likely because they are an easy prey as they are not aware of these insects. It's hard to avoid, but we can minimized it.
Insect repellents
play a key role for protecting our children from mosquito-borne viruses
especially when living in places where these illnesses are prone to happen often.
For mothers with young baby, you can start putting bug repellent when your baby
is at least 2 months old and above.
You can start using
insect repellents containing DEET. According to the Environmental Protection
Agency in United States (EPA), DEET is tested and approved for use on children
with no age restriction.
Here
are some important points when using insect repellent on your baby:
• Repellent with DEET should
not be applied more than once a day, and is not recommended for babies younger
than 2 months old.
• DEET can be used on exposed
skin, as well as clothing, socks, and shoes, but should not be used on the
face, under clothing, on cuts or irritated skin, or on the hands of young
children.
• Read
and follow the label directions to ensure proper use; be sure you
understand how much to apply.
• Apply
repellents only to exposed skin and/or clothing. Do not use under clothing.
• Do
not apply near eyes and mouth, and apply sparingly around ears.
• When using
sprays, do not spray directly into face; spray on hands first and then apply to
face.
• Never
use repellents over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
• Do
not spray in enclosed areas.
• Avoid
breathing a spray product.
• Do
not use it near food.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) says that repellents containing the ingredients picaridin
or oil of lemon eucalyptus also can protect against mosquitoes:
Picaridin
is a compound found in many mosquito repellents used in Europe, Australia,
Latin America, and Asia. Its chemical name, which you might find in the list of
"active ingredients" on a product, is KBR 3023. Years of safe use of
picaridin in other parts of the world attest to its safety and
effectiveness.
Oil of
lemon eucalyptus is also known as P-menthane diol (PMD). PMD is a plant-based
repellent that gives protection time similar to low concentrations of DEET
products. It is not recommended for kids under 3 years old.
You
may want to try a natural insect repellent such as citronella, but read the
label first to make sure it's safe to use on babies. (Repellent products must
state any age restrictions.)
Natural
repellents generally don't last as long as chemical repellents, so you may need
to reapply frequently.
As a side note, there
are 66 dengue fever cases and one death in Kg. Likas just last year according to
the Borneo Post newspaper while The World Health Organization (WHO) estimate there may be 50- 100 million dengue infections worldwide every year. So geared up, keep your surrounding clean and
be safe everyone!
