The Attack of the Summer Mosquitoes!

How can I prevent getting mosquito bites?

There are some natural ways to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes. I recommend avoiding the outdoors at sunset and right after the rain when there is standing water. There are many mosquito-repellant plants that you can put in your garden and around your entrance to the house. These include sweet basil, lemon grass, sage, and bee balm. Lavender, citronella, and peppermint to name a few. If you must be outdoors for a prolonged period, then for older children spraying mosquito repellant over the skin to prevent bites is recommended. Once your child is back indoors be sure to wash off the repellant from the skin. For all those with babies in strollers, I recommend using a mosquito net over the stroller and then spraying around the base of the stroller with a repellant. This way no repellant is sprayed on the child, yet they are protected from the bites.

What can I do if my child gets a mosquito bite?

The first thing is to wash the area, then apply a cooling agent like Calamine lotion. This prevents some of the itchings but often if the itching is very intense or your child gets a large local reaction then taking oral antihistamine like Benadryl may be required. Benadryl can make children sleepy so depending on the age other non-sedating options like Zyrtec or Claritin are also available but are dosed once a day. The goal is to decrease the local reaction and itching and to prevent any secondary infection that can arise from intense scratching and injury to the skin.

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