My Itchy Little Girl /Bug Bites

hello.. I get that way as well because I am allergic to mostly mosquitoes.. so maybe that is her problem as well.. but there really is not much to do to avoid getting them.. I use tons of spray and I still get them pretty bad.. sorry! Good luck

Take her to the doctors; she might be having an allergic reaction to the bites. As far as the itch, use any anit-itch cream sold at Rite Aid, Walgreen, CVS, ect.

Hope this helps,
P.

Hi K.,

I have three babies, 2 girls and 1 baby boy. My first daughter is now almost 6 years old. When she was a baby and still the only child, I would rush her to the doctor for EVERYTHING. She too had bug bites that would swell very big. I took her in the hospital twice for fear of allergic reaction, my mother-in-law's suggestion. Both times she checked out in good health and I felt like a Bozo for ever overreacting. I can only tell you my experience. If your daughter is acting fine and normal, she is probably okay. The doctor told me the same thing. I had to live and learn. If you feel she is sick, by all means take her in. If she's regular, I would suggest waiting it out. I spent many hundred's of dollars taking my daughter to the hospital and I just had to live and learn.

I hope this helps you.

Oh by the way: a home remedy to relieve the itching for Mosquito bites is to rub fresh lemon juice or regular toothpaste on it. Might sound strange, but it works for my fam.

Take care.

Along with the others, I recommend the use of benadryl. To me, it does sound like your daughter may be allergic to the insects. If you think that mosquitoes are the problem, then don't take her outside in the times that they are most active, after dark. If it seems to happen when she is in a particular area, then avoid that area. Allergies usually get worse with more contact, and children don't "grow out" of allergies until much later. Some, like me, never grow out of allergies and only get worse with time and living. Her skin is more sensitive now to the materials that her body releases during the allergic reaction, so that may diminish, but the allergy will persist.

Very few insect repellents are really effective, and I would be cautious about using one on a young child. The Avon products have been shown to have no effectiveness on repelling mosquitoes in a study of what draws and repells mosquitoes. The best all around insect repellent is still DEET, but I would consult with your pediatrician before using it on a 2 year old. Avoiding the insects is really the best idea.

If you get a handle on what insects may be causing the reaction, contacting your local extension service may help you change what plants you grow, when is the best time to water them, or if you need to use mosquito control in your yard by getting rid of standing water. Some types of flies are more prevelent in woods, so staying out of the woods during the insect's peak season would help. And, if a bee sting ever shows signs of an allergic reaction, that requires a visit to the pediatricic allergist. If there is any sortness of breath, no matter how slight, that requires a call to 911 ASAP.

Since you also react in a similar fashion to insect bites, it would appear that this is an allergy, and that it could persist into adulthood as yours did. So, learing how to avoid the problem can help her for her entire life. And allergies are getting more severe in children than they used to be, the theory is that we actually are keeping them too clean and that contacting lots of infections and "dirt" actually keeps the immune system on the right path. When it has nothing to stimulate the protective path, then anything that can be reacted to in the allergic pathway will bring a stronger response. That's the current thinking, anyway.

Good luck, hope you find the right management tools to help her.

I, too, seem to have children that bugs love to taste. In fact, when summer arrives, I tend to carry around a Benedryl stick with me everywhere. For us, it seems to give the best results out of the Benedryl products (creme, gel, and spray). There are other sticks (like After bite), but I have tried them and Benedryl is the only one my children don't complain about stinging. I apply it several times throughout the day, and the bites go down within 2-3 days (depending on how much they scratched it before I got medicine on it). IF the itch still bothers them, I apply some creme additionally.

Martha W's right about Deet being the most affective ingredient; however, a couple of years ago, a product called Cutter Advanced was put on the market which uses Picaridin as its main repellent ingredient, a checmical more safe than deet. Even Consumer Reports rated this product well. I have used this, along with Off! Family/Kid insect repellent and Avon Skintastic, and I can say they help reduce the problem for my kids, but do not eliminate it.

One other product that we came across at Walmart (and I'm sure other stores probably sell it) is a bug repellent bracelet. It looks like those plastic, coil key chains. I put one on my child's wrist or, when they were little like your daughter, on her ankle. It seemed to work pretty good, too, and I didn't have to spray anything on their skin or clothes. One note if you use this product, you can reuse them (I stored them in a ziploc baggie), but their smell can permeate into other things, so keep it from food items, and anything else you don't want to bear that smell.

To reiterate Martha W., watch the times you go outside and where. We take morning walks instead of afternoon walks, and because of an unattended pool in the yard behind us, my children do not play outside in our yard in the evening as often during the hot, humid summer days. But when they do, the Benedryl stick is in hand ready to treat those pesky bites, the moment we step back inside.

Hello. My 4yo girl has the same problem except her bug bites don't swell that much but the skin is red and inflammed and hot to the touch. The only thing you can do is put the benedryl cream or gel on the bites after they happen. This seems to help with the itching and they heal faster. As for keeping her from getting them since you don't really know what kind of bug it is there's no way to really answer the question. Have you tried a bug repellent like Off and Skin so soft by Avon seems to help with the mosquitoes. You daughter like mine is just probably allergic to the saliva of the bugs but hopefully both our girls will outgrow it eventually.

Hi K.,

My daughter would have golf ball size swelling when she got a bug bite and nothing seemed to help. Finally I tried the homeopathic remedy-you have to try this it is the ONLY thing that worked and works. It is called Apis Mellifica and I get it at Whole Foods. We, I use it too, take 4 and have never had to repeat as the directions say. They are little and disolve in your mouth, kinda like a mini candy so I never had a problem getting her to take them. You will be amazed and thankful. BTW-she outgrew the severe reaction within a year or two.

Hi K.,
the problem with the bug bites sounds like an alergic reaction to me. you might try checking her bed area for spiders or spider nests.... but look for some kind of anti allergy stuff for babies or small children that won't make her sleep like Benedryl does. You could also ask her doctor if it gets worse....

Have a great summer and God bless you always,
S.

Hi, K.,

Try Buzz Free Zone Personal Spray to prevent bug bites. This bug spray is available online at www.OrganicFullStop.com. It is completely chemical free, and it totally works! Not only is it good for keeping the mosquitoes away, it is good for tics as well. I gave it to a friend who lives in Buenos Aires (where the bugs are particularly bad), and she says she and her son never leave the house without it and are able to avoid the chemical sprays most of her neighbors use. She has since ordered a ton more so that she won’t run out. I have lots of friends in the swampland of Washington, DC, where the neighborhood playgrounds are full of mosquitoes at dusk, whose kids are always fine, as long as the kids are sprayed well – as in full coverage.

Buzz Free Spray is so safe that it is Certified Organic to international food standards. It carries the USDA Organic label and the Australian Certified Organic label, both of which are reserved for food products. In other words, it is edible!

What’s in a 4.2 ounce bottle? It contains: Organic aloe vera leaf juice, Purified water, Olive tea tree, Organic catnip essential oil, Organic lemon scented tea tree essential oil,
Organic citronella essential oil, Organic tea tree essential oil, Organic blue mallee eucalyptus essential oil, Natural gum (sclerotium rolfsii), Honeysuckle extract, Neem extract, Organic peppermint essential oil, Organic lemon myrtle essential oil. That’s it!

It has a pleasant smell, unlike the other kinds that are full of chemicals. It’s fruity, a little sweet, and you will recognize the smell of the citronella oil in the background.

www.OrganicFullStop.com also sells a Purifying Blemish Gel which amazingly provides INSTANT relief from the stinging and itching of mosquito bites. It contains a potent and powerful blend of healing and calming organic herbs and flowers.

Good luck the rest of the summer! Let me know if you have any questions about the products and if they provide the relief you are looking for.

Regards,

K.
____@____.com

My son had the same problem. To the point we ended up having to get Stat blood work and they were going to send him for an MRI when he had one in his eyebrow line. He got the bite overnight and his entire eye swelled shut overnight, so we had no idea what had happened. We would use Avon Skin so soft as well as a Burt Bee repellent to try to minimize the problem when we were outside. I also found that topical benadryl spray worked wonders to keep the swelling down if I found it in time (usually within minutes of it happening). The good news to all of this now is, his 3 and while he still gets the swelling it seems to be improving with time. Good Luck!

Kristin,
When you guys are out tuck a dryer sheet inside of her clothing. Mosquitoes are very put off by the sent of dryer sheets. Good luck!

K.,
The ladies are right. Your daughter is allergic to the toxins that these bugs are releasing into her skin when she is bit. Your skin has had more time to harden and develop then hers has and that is why your skin does not act the way hers does. PLEASE do not use bug spray on your child!! There are a few simple remedies that you can try that are natural and do not contain pesticides that will go onto her body and straight into her blood stream. Not too mention that most do not work!! First, try a bounce dryer sheet. I know this sounds silly, but it worked for 1 of my boys. You just tuck it into a item of her clothing and it helps to repel the insects. Next, get rid of any and all standing water around your home. Next, try finding some Neem plants and planting them in bordering areas where you and your child plays. Neem is highly effective at repelling insects. It does not smell the greatest... but it does work to keep the annoying bug population down. Try using long clothes on her when outdoors, pants and light long t-shirts. It will minimize the impact for any bite she gets. Here is another recipe that we use on our princess, dogs and myself. WE are ore prone to the bites and the bounce dryer sheets do not seem to work for us. 2 tablespoons vegetable or nut oil (almond oil contains sulfur, a repellent in its own right). 10 to 25 drops Rose Geranium essential oil. Combine the ingredients in a glass jar; shake to blend. Makes: 2 tablespoons Shelf Life: 6 months
Dab a few drops on your skin or clothing, making sure to avoid eyes. It also is a great repellent for ticks and we use the oils on our dogs too. When she is bit, try using some Melaleuca Oil or some Noni Seed Oil on the bites as soon as you notice them. Both will provide instant relief as well as pull any toxins out of the affected area. The Noni oil is very soothing and any time my kids get bit... they run inside and find both oils to use. You can get the oils at any Whole Food Store, or online. I am not sure if Young Living carries them, but they are a pretty good company for oils. Try and look them up and see if they recommend any mix of oils for bug repellant. I just choose to use nature as our source of fighting things instead of worrying about the side effects or damage that can be done through pesticides and DO NOT!!!! use DEET on your child!! PLEASE for her safety and yours!
Let me know if you need any help... I am more than willing to send you in the right direction and I know a ton of people that are distributors for many different natural things. I do some myself, but just choose not to do the selling aspect of it all. I do it just for the discount to our large family.
Would love to here what you chose and what worked or did not work for you! HTH Good Luck! Remember not to use the oils around the eyes!
Jenn
Mama to Bryce~9 Austin~6 Taylor~19 mnths
Step Mama to Nich~15 Christian~14

Hi K.,
My daughter has the same problem since she was young, now she is 8 and still get's them that bad. What I used to do before was as soon as she would get a bug bite (mosquito) I would clean the area with warm water, put some neosporin, and then loosely bandage. It will ease the pain a little bit but the bandage will make her not itch it. Recently, I took her to the allergist, and they said that sometimes the child has a little too much white cell counts, however after the blood test they prescribed fluticasone propionate cream 0.05% for her, so I have to rub that into her bug bite all the time now. So far so good (it eases the pain). Now I just have to spray her with the Avon bug spray everytime she goes out. The doctor did say eventually they will grow out of it, but I've known friends that are in their 30's and still have them. Just not as bad, since when you are young you tend to scratch it and touch the bite.

Hope this helps, your not the only one. Just take her to the doctor when she has the swell ups. This way they can see how she is reacting to the bites.