Bedbug bites are not always easy to identify in children. Often parents suspect mosquitoes or fleas when itchy swellings appear. The skin of a child is delicate and does not contain repellent odors, so bedbugs may not bite adults at first, but only attack the baby.
Moreover, children have an increased risk of developing allergic reactions, which complicates diagnosis and treatment.
That is why it is important to know how to recognize bedbug bites, differentiate them from attacks by other parasites, and how to help your baby.
What they look like
Information about what bedbug bites look like in children helps to quickly navigate the situation and provide emergency assistance to the child. Typically, insect entry points consist of a path of several points at a distance of 1-2 cm.
Bed bug bites often cause allergies in children and, in addition to swelling, redness and severe itching appear. The skin in this area may peel and hurt. Typically, bites are located on open areas of the body: arms, legs, face, neck, stomach.
When wondering how to identify a bedbug bite in a child, it is worth noting that the parasite eats food at night. Therefore, to detect it, you should inspect the child’s bed at night.
In addition, particles of blood may remain on clothing after a bite, since insect secretion injected into the wound slows down the process of blood clotting.
Proper examination of the child
It is best to conduct an examination after the baby wakes up. Start with the head, neck and shoulders. Examine the hairline; there is no need to carefully check the hair itself; hair is a serious barrier for the parasite.
- Look for small red dots in groups of three or more;
- Inspect all areas of the skin that may have been exposed during sleep: arms, legs, torso;
- Try not to frighten the child during the examination; tell him that you want to count his moles or something similar.
What to do
When wondering how to treat bedbug bites on a child’s body, it is important to make sure that the wounds belong to these particular parasites. To do this, you need to inspect the baby’s bed, mattress, and all the upholstered furniture in the baby’s room. Bed bugs love to live in the mattress or under the bed.
Sometimes they hide in the cracks of baseboards or wallpaper.
When traces of insect production are detected, parents do not always know what to do if their child has been bitten by bedbugs. First, you need to remove all the bedding, mattress and wash at high temperature, not lower than 60 ° C; after drying, things need to be ironed with a hot iron.
The bed is treated with a steam generator. If the frame is metal, then you can pour boiling water over it. Hot water will kill parasites instantly.
In the future, the apartment needs to be treated with special insecticides, but due to their toxicity during this period, it is better to send the child to his grandmother. Temporary measures will help only for a short period of time; if you do not decide on drastic measures, then in a few months a colony of bloodsuckers will live in the house.
Bedbugs and babies: procedure
Bloodsuckers cause the most problems to infants. Bedbugs feel very comfortable in a crib; as a rule, babies sleep most of the day and this allows the parasites to attack a defenseless victim not only at night, but also during the day. An immature immune system can react to enzymes in insect saliva with severe allergic reactions. The baby will no longer be able to sleep peacefully in his crib; he will constantly toss and turn and cry, and uninformed parents will never understand what’s going on.
In heavily infested areas, bedbugs can cause anemia (anemia) in infants.
A baby badly bitten by bedbugs
At the slightest suspicion of bedbugs, it is necessary to inspect the child’s sleeping place. Inspect the bed frame. Turn the mattress over and carefully examine the back of it
Pay special attention to seams, stripes, folds. Bedbugs, like any living organism on Earth, leave behind waste products - chitinous shells after molting and excrement. If signs of a parasite are detected, measures must be taken immediately to isolate the infant from the pest.
Bed linen must be removed and washed at a temperature of at least 60°C, and then ironed. Place the mattress in a vacuum cover, take it outside, beat it thoroughly, and if it’s winter outside, it won’t hurt to freeze it for several days. The frame of the crib should, if possible, be disassembled into components and treated with a steam generator or an iron with a steamer. Steam, like boiling water, is instant death for the pest and its eggs. In order to exclude the possibility of insects getting into the child’s sleeping area again, bowls filled 1/3 with water should be placed under each leg of the bed.
If signs of a parasite are detected, measures must be taken immediately to isolate the infant from the pest. Bed linen must be removed and washed at a temperature of at least 60°C, and then ironed. Place the mattress in a vacuum cover, take it outside, beat it thoroughly, and if it’s winter outside, it won’t hurt to freeze it for several days. The frame of the crib should, if possible, be disassembled into components and treated with a steam generator or an iron with a steamer. Steam, like boiling water, is instant death for the pest and its eggs. In order to exclude the possibility of insects getting into the child’s sleeping area again, bowls filled 1/3 with water should be placed under each leg of the bed.
If there are no legs, and instead there is a swing system, then the base in contact with the floor must be covered with double-sided tape around the entire perimeter and it is important not to leave any gaps through which bedbugs can penetrate. This is only a temporary solution to the problem; bed bugs need to be fought not locally, but comprehensively, this is the only way to get rid of this bloodthirsty insect. These bowls of water are placed under the legs of the bed.
These bowls of water are placed under the legs of the bed.
Newborns bitten by bedbugs must be seen by a doctor
What drugs can be used for lubrication?
When parasites are detected, parents are interested in how to treat a bug bite on a small child to relieve itching and inflammation. If there is slight redness, it is enough to wipe the wound with an alcohol or soap solution. A decoction of chamomile and plantain helps a lot.
When the temperature rises, it is necessary to give an antipyretic and antihistamine.
For a stronger reaction use:
- Levomekol. The ointment has antibacterial and regenerating properties.
- Fenistil. The gel relieves itching and reduces allergic manifestations.
- Advantan acts on inflammatory and allergic receptors.
- Akriderm contains an antibiotic and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Menovazine anesthetizes and soothes the skin.
- Hydrocortisone relieves itching and swelling.
The most popular antihistamines are:
- Suprastin has an anti-inflammatory effect with an antispasmodic effect.
- Fenistil drops are prescribed from an early age. Suitable for babies.
- Loratodine, taken before bed.
- Erius and Cetrin are allowed only from 2 years of age.
If a strong reaction occurs, with difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness, you should immediately call a doctor.
During pregnancy
Insect bites during pregnancy do not have a negative effect on the fetus. However, the fact of a bug bite is unpleasant for the expectant mother. It is known that the use of a number of medications during pregnancy is prohibited. Below are drugs that are suitable for both pregnant women and young children.
- Bepanten. Promotes rapid healing of the skin and restoration of its structure.
- Rescuer. It is an antibacterial ointment that ensures rapid resorption of inflammation.
- Ointment "Star". The most affordable remedy that has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Advanta. Has an intensive effect on allergic reactions.
- Fenistil. Allows you to eliminate pain.
Treatment with folk remedies
When a child is bitten by a bed bug, you can use home remedies as first aid. Itching and swelling can be relieved with herbal infusions. To do this, lotions and rubdowns are made from the decoction. Sage, string, chamomile, and aloe juice help in the fight against bedbugs.
A paste of water and soda is used only for external treatment. For these purposes, you can also take lemon juice or mint oil.
To reduce itching and distract your baby, you should give him a hot herbal bath. But this remedy will only save you for a few hours, after which the problem will return, so if you suspect the presence of bedbugs, you should carefully inspect the apartment and show the child to a doctor.
Video
Home bug bites on humans, treatment
Reviews from people
On specialized forums there are many reviews from worried parents whose children were bitten by bedbugs. Here are some of them:
Review 1. Irina, Moscow
“When the child started waking up covered in bites, at first I didn’t understand what it was. It doesn’t look like mosquitoes, but we’ve never had any other living creatures in our apartment. I carefully checked the baby’s crib and was horrified: several bedbugs were swarming under the mattress. I found the photo and description on the Internet, otherwise I would not have recognized these creatures. I was very afraid that I would have a fever and other alarming symptoms, but everything turned out okay. Of course, I immediately called the SES and the infection was removed in one treatment: apparently, the parasites had not yet had time to reproduce.”
Review 2. Ekaterina, St. Petersburg
“It’s kind of an unlucky apartment we have. Before we had time to get rid of the cockroaches with difficulty, the bugs attacked, and this nasty thing is even more tenacious. They were bitten several nights in a row, and you don’t even feel their bites. But the worst thing is that the children suffered. The body itches terribly after the bites, I had to brew chamomile and make lotions. As soon as we received our salary, we contacted the sanitary service and now we sleep peacefully.”
The appearance of bed bugs in the house is a difficult ordeal for the owners. But if there are children in the family, then the presence of bloodsuckers becomes a disaster. It is difficult to say in advance what such a nuisance will cause. The child may experience severe allergies, shortness of breath, and even psychological trauma. This cannot be allowed, so the persecution will have to be carried out as quickly as possible.
In such cases, there is no time to think about how to treat the home. Selecting the right drug may require a lot of effort and money, and in the meantime the health of family members will suffer. The best way out is to contact a specialized service, whose specialists will solve the problem quickly and with a guarantee.
Reviews of professional processing are almost always good. The staff will take care of all the hassle associated with the unpleasant procedure of baiting bedbugs. The cost of the service will not be a blow to the family budget, and the results will be visible immediately.
Video: Removing bedbugs by SES service
