{"id":4565,"date":"2024-06-27T14:31:07","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T21:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/?p=4565"},"modified":"2024-11-22T11:48:23","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T19:48:23","slug":"bug-bites-the-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/bug-bites-the-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"Bug Bites &#8211; The Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Warm weather brings more fun for families outdoors\u2013and that means more exposure to bugs.<\/p>\n<p>I hear from parents often at this time of year when they are concerned about their child\u2019s bug bites. Here\u2019s some information to help keep your child itch-free and healthy after spending time outdoors this summer.<\/p>\n<h3>Prevent Mosquito Bites<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s well worth trying to prevent bug bites, when possible, rather than having to deal with uncomfortable kiddos. To help prevent mosquito bites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid places that mosquitos like to gather, like areas with standing water, especially in the evening,<\/li>\n<li>Keep house windows and doors closed if they don\u2019t have a screen.<\/li>\n<li>Wear lightweight, long sleeved clothing.<\/li>\n<li>Use mosquito repellents, such as:\n<ul>\n<li>DEET products between 10% to 30%. These are safe to use on kids as young as 2 months old. Parents should spray onto their hands and pat onto young kids\u2019 skin.<\/li>\n<li>For kids over age 3, lemon eucalyptus products may be used.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Always apply sunscreen first, then bug repellents on top<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>When the Bug Bite Itches<\/h3>\n<p>Reactions to bug bites can vary between kids. Some kids develop \u201cskeeter syndrome\u201d which is an allergic reaction to mosquito bites. No matter how severe the reaction, you can try using:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Oral antihistamines (cetirizine, loratadine, diphenhydramine) in weight-based dosing to help reduce the urge to itch.<\/li>\n<li>Topical hydrocortisone, topical diphenhydramine or calamine lotion, which are available over the counter. Use 2 times daily on itchy bites.<\/li>\n<li>Cool compresses on the itchy, swollen bites to relieve discomfort.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Be sure to keep kids\u2019 nails short! Lots of scratching through the skin can lead to infections in the bites.<\/p>\n<h3>Tips About Ticks<\/h3>\n<p>Most tick bites are harmless. However, over the past few decades, tick-borne diseases have spread more across the US. It\u2019s a good idea to look for ticks and remove them if attached. Here\u2019s how to help prevent problems from ticks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Wear long sleeves if playing or hiking in high grass or wooded areas; tuck in long pants into socks.<\/li>\n<li>Use bug repellent with DEET on skin or permethrin on clothes.<\/li>\n<li>After coming indoors from areas where ticks might be, check clothing, hair, and skin folds for ticks, and take a shower.<\/li>\n<li>Check your pets for ticks after walks, as they may bring them into the home.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Although bugs can be pests, sometimes discovering the creepy crawlies in the outdoors are part of the fun, especially with a young child in tow. \u00a0Try not to let bugs keep you indoors this summer! <a href=\"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/hiking-with-kids\/\">Being outdoors with your kids is great for the mental and physical health of your entire family! <\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Resources for Parents:<\/h3>\n<p><strong>My Doctor Online<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org\/ncal\/structured-content\/insect-bites-and-stings-176544\">Insect Bites and Stings<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Centers for Disease Control<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/ticks\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ticks<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>American Academy of Pediatrics<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthychildren.org\/English\/safety-prevention\/at-play\/Pages\/Insect-Repellents.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Choosing an Insect Repellent for Your Child<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Worried about your kid&#8217;s bug bites? Here\u2019s some information to keep your child itch-free after spending time outdoors this summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":4566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[698,64,63,654],"class_list":["post-4565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-issues","tag-exercise","tag-summer-fun","tag-summer-kid-activities","tag-summertime","ages-all-ages"],"metadata":{"_edit_lock":["1742508278:8"],"_edit_last":["6"],"_thumbnail_id":["4566"],"qode_animate-page-title":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-text":["no"],"qode_show-page-title-image":["no"],"qode_show-sidebar":["default"],"qode_hide-featured-image":["no"],"slide_template":["default"],"ase_chapter_enable_timeline":["off"],"video_format_choose":["youtube"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["false"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["106"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_ages":["294"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":["[]"],"_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":["[\"\"]"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["2"],"_yoast_wpseo_wordproof_timestamp":[""],"post_featured_author_bio":["Dr. Lindsay Frost's biography reads: I joined the pediatrics team at Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento in 2018 to help kids thrive. During my medical training, I pursued a Masters degree in public health and health promotion. I enjoy being able to foster long-term relationships with patients and their families, providing care in both health and illness as children grow.  Some of my most relevant experiences as a pediatrician have come from my two children, who have \u201ctrained\u201d me first-hand on the challenges of parenthood. \nRead more at {{https:\/\/mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org\/ncal\/providers\/lindsayfrost}}"],"post_featured_author_bio_link":["https:\/\/mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org\/ncal\/providers\/lindsayfrost"],"post_featured_author_image":["https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Lindsay-Frost.png"],"post_featured_author_role":["YES"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":["bug bites"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Worried about your kid's bug bites? Here\u2019s some information to keep your child itch-free after spending time outdoors this summer."],"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":["74"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["90"],"_yoast_indexnow_last_ping":["1732304903"],"wpfp_favorites":["337"],"ase_map_component_start_point":["a:2:{s:3:\"lat\";d:29.76;s:3:\"lng\";d:-95.38;}"],"ase_mapbox_style":["openstreet"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4565"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4753,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4565\/revisions\/4753"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}