After a mosquito bite, the individual’s immune response is stimulated and begins to activate, and large red envelopes will appear on the skin. Children’s skin is delicate, which can cause significant itching or even pain, and can even add new ones to the old ones, and it won’t go away for a long time. If your baby cannot speak yet and finds mosquitoes in the environment, crying and restless, rubbing his body, or having scratches on his skin, you should pay attention to whether he has been bitten by a nasty mosquito. To relieve itching, parents can do the following:
Rinse with soap and water: The venom of most insect bites is acidic, so immediately after the bite, rinse the skin with soap and water or an alkaline solution such as hand sanitizer to relieve local redness, swelling and itching;
Moisturizing or cold compress to relieve itching: local cold compress, cold water rinse, or refrigerating the moisturizer and applying it to the child can reduce itching caused or aggravated by dry skin and relieve discomfort. Choose skin care products with simple ingredients.
Prevent scratching: The red envelope that originally disappears on its own will not heal for a day after scratching, and in severe cases, it may become ulcerated and infected. So scratching should be avoided, your child’s nails can be trimmed, and gloves should be worn if necessary. If the baby is really uncomfortable, you can gently pat or pinch the skin to relieve the itching. If it has been scratched, you need to use erythromycin ointment or mupirocin ointment (Vidauban) to prevent infection. Customers also purchase at Amazon discount code NHS
Avoid using toilet water and essential oils: the main ingredients include alcohol, menthol, camphor, borneol, etc., which mainly produce an icy and cool feeling through the evaporation of alcohol and menthol. Among them, alcohol is highly flammable and easily absorbed through the skin. Applying it to a large area may cause alcohol poisoning in children. Menthol and similar substances are prohibited for children under 2 years of age because exposure to large doses may cause respiratory depression and the risk of inducing epilepsy. Camphor has a refreshing effect, but it has an impact on the development of the baby’s nervous system. Popular products such as Qingcao Cream, Fengyoujing, Baby Golden Water, Shuangfeiren, etc. all contain a lot of alcohol and menthol. They will feel cool and comfortable when you first apply them, but as the ingredients penetrate into the skin and accumulate in concentration, Numbness and burning sensations, or even poisoning, are often experienced. From a safety perspective, it is best not to use it in large quantities, especially for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children.
Do not use mosquito repellent to relieve itching: Mosquito repellent can only prevent mosquito bites, but does not relieve itching. If mosquito repellent is used on a bag that has been bitten, it will be easily absorbed by the body through the damaged parts of the skin.
The chance of a severe allergic reaction after a mosquito bite is rare, but it is an emergency if it occurs. If your baby develops urticaria, difficulty breathing or even coma, seek medical attention immediately.
I feel itchy, what medicine should I use?
How to treat
Seeing this, many parents may want to ask, they can only apply cold compresses, but they cannot scratch, and they cannot use toilet water or Fengyoujing… The child is really uncomfortable. What should I do? In fact, there are some relatively safe drugs that can relieve symptoms. Our most recommended one is calamine lotion. Others include hormones and antihistamines. Let’s take a look at which ones to choose.
calamine lotion
Calamine lotion: It is a safe drug that can be easily purchased in pharmacies and can be used repeatedly by infants and young children. It has been included in the list of basic medicines for children by the World Health Organization (WHO). Common ingredients include calamine or zinc carbonate, zinc oxide, glycerin, etc., which have anti-itching, moisturizing, and moisturizing effects. They can not only treat mosquito bites, but are also effective for prickly heat and eczema. Some calamine lotions with names containing “compound” will add menthol and should not be used by children under 2 years old.
Instructions for use: Before each application, wash off the remaining traces of the last application, dry it gently, and then apply it for the second time; do not apply it to damaged skin. The itching of damaged areas cannot be relieved with calamine lotion. ; If your baby’s skin becomes dry 1 to 2 days after application, pay attention to moisturizing.
Oral antihistamines
Oral antihistamines: chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, loratadine, cetirizine, etc.
The main ingredients of the famous children’s version of “Wubi Drop” are diphenhydramine hydrochloride and vitamin B5. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine used for allergic diseases. Oral administration may cause dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting and other adverse reactions, and the effect of topical application is very limited. Therefore, diphenhydramine is contraindicated for babies under 2 years old, pregnant women, and lactating women. It is recommended to consult a dermatologist when using it for children over 2 years old. The second-generation antihistamine drug cetirizine drops are also commonly used for children. According to the drug instructions, it can be used by those over 1 year old.
Hormones
Hormones: hydrocortisone, desonide, Udra (hydrocortisone butyrate), etc.
Common topical hormones are in order from weakest to strongest: 1% hydrocortisone < 0.05% desonide < 0.1% hydrocortisone butyrate (Udra) < 0.1% mometasone furoate cream (Eloson)<Betamethasone<Clobetasol. Among them, 1% hydrocortisone cream is difficult to purchase. Therefore, it is recommended that children use weak desonide or eudra. Consult a doctor and use it according to the instructions. It is safe and effective in the short term. The magic ointments promoted by some micro-businesses are often “three-free products” with added powerful hormones. For example, some lithospermum ointments have quick effects but have more side effects, and children often cannot use them.
To prevent mosquitoes in summer, how should you protect your little ones at home? Do you understand? If you still don’t know anything, you can leave a message.
