Dieser Beitrag wurde geschrieben von Dr. Annalena Dehé & Dr. med. Lukas Dehé

Insect Bites in Children: What to Do?

Find out how you treat insect bites effectively to provide your child quick relief. The practical tips from 12mintes will certainly be a great help. Read more ...

Dr. Annalena Dehé & Dr. med. Lukas Dehé

First aid is close to our hearts, emergency doctors by passion, parents of twins.

Summer is just around the corner, and unfortunately, so is insect season, especially mosquitoes and biting midges. It’s almost unavoidable: biting mosquitoes often attack our babies. In most cases, insect bites are harmless and heal without any problems. In very rare cases, there are children who react with a severe allergic reaction to insect venom—especially bee or wasp venom—already in their early years. In this article, you’ll find practical tips to be perfectly prepared for summer and insect bites!

Table of Contents

  • Treating insect bites in children
  • Insect bites on the neck and face
  • Removing bee stingers
  • Protecting children from insect bites

Treating insect bites in children

Other children also develop an allergy only over the course of their lives, which gradually arises over time and with each contact, such as an insect sting from bees, wasps, or hornets.

In the vast majority of milder cases, the sting site shows

  • redness with warmth as well as
  • a pronounced itch,

which is triggered by the venom and the associated inflammatory reaction.
Scratching and manipulating the sting site can further worsen this local
soft tissue reaction.

Mosquito bites in children – what helps?

After a mosquito bite - especially in small children,
who are not aware of the consequences of scratching - it can be helpful
to cool the bite briefly,

  • e.g., with a refrigerator-cold compress or
  • under running cold water.

Afterwards, the bite can be treated with a cooling insect bite gel. After a day of playing in the
sandbox or forest, it makes sense to additionally clean the bite area with a non-alcoholic disinfectant.

What to do for insect bites in children – 4 tips

Here you will find 4 tips on how parents should behave after an initially harmless insect bite:

  • Cool insect bites briefly (relieves itching and swelling)

  • For contaminated skin, disinfect the puncture site (use a non-alcohol-based disinfectant)

  • Check if a sting remains in the skin; if present, it should be removed immediately

  • If there are signs of inflammation or if the child has scratched, also disinfect these areas (disinfectant based on a non-alcoholic formula)

Special case: insect bites in the neck or facial area

With stings on the face—especially in the neck area—as well as when an insect is accidentally swallowed, there is always a risk of swelling in the airway area. As soon as swelling occurs in the mentioned area, it is a critical emergency situation: the emergency services or emergency doctor should be called immediately.

What parents can do: In the acute situation, parents can try—depending on the sting location:

  • Keep the swelling to a minimum by using cooling methods (e.g., ice cubes) or a very cold drink.
  • If available, antihistamines or other antiallergics can be administered at the first signs of an allergic reaction.

Other signs of an allergic reaction can include severe swelling with skin redness and/or hive formation. This reaction may initially occur only around the sting area and then spread to the entire body over time.

Removing a bee sting: Here's how to do it!

In bees, the so-called venom sac is located at the tip of the stinger. After a bee sting, it should always be checked whether the stinger has remained in the skin – this is usually the case. Wasps, on the other hand, can sting repeatedly with the same stinger. If the bee's stinger is still in the skin, it should be removed immediately, as venom continues to be pumped from the venom sac into the body.

And this is how you remove a stinger:

  • Secure the sting, for example with tweezers, as close to the skin at the sting site as possible and not too close to the end of the sting.

  • Remove the sting with a quick, jerky motion along the angle of the sting.

  • Then check whether the sting has been completely removed or if it remains in the puncture site.

How can children be protected from insect bites?

There are various recommendations for preventing insect bites.

The "right" Clothing Line

It makes sense to favor long-sleeved and long-legged Clothing Line, even if you cannot fully protect yourself with them.

Insect repellent spray

Warning, insect repellent sprays are not approved for all ages. Some of these insect repellents can cause allergic reactions, so you should always "test" them on a neutral area of skin before applying them over a large area. For babies, the spray should not be applied directly to the skin. It is better to lightly moisten only the clothing. If you are unsure, you can of course consult a pediatrician.

Insect protection nets

Windows can be equipped with these nets.

Mosquito nets

This accessory for cribs and strollers even provides an additional darkening effect.

We wish you a summer without insect bites!

Our medical experts take great care to formulate medical content accurately and clearly. This article is for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice. It also does not claim to be complete. In a medical emergency, please call 112.

Dr. Annalena Dehé & Dr. med. Lukas Dehé
Annalena and Lukas are not only parents of twins themselves but also experienced emergency doctors who know what matters in medical emergencies. For many years, they have been active as emergency doctors on emergency response vehicles and a rescue helicopter, helping where it is needed most urgently.

Mehr Informationen über Dr. Annalena Dehé & Dr. med. Lukas Dehé findest du hier.

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