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 a matter close to our hearts, emergency doctors by passion, parents of twins.

Summer is just around the corner and unfortunately so are insects and especially the mosquito and biting midge season. It is hardly avoidable: biting midges often attack our babies. In the vast majority of cases, insect bites are harmless and heal without problems. In very rare cases, there are children who already react with a severe allergic reaction to insect venom - especially bee or wasp venom - in the first years of life. In this article, you will find practical tips to be perfectly prepared for summer and against insect bites!

Table of Contents

  • Treating insect bites in children
  • Insect bites on the neck and face
  • Removing bee stings
  • 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 e.g. bees, wasps or hornets.

In the vast majority and milder cases, a

  • redness with increased warmth as well as
  • a pronounced itching,

at the sting site is shown, which is triggered by the venom and the associated inflammatory reaction.
Scratching and manipulation of the sting site can then further worsen this local
soft tissue reaction.

Mosquito bite in children – what helps?

After a mosquito bite - especially in small children,
who are not aware of the consequences of scratching - it can be useful
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 in the forest, it makes sense to additionally clean the bite area with a disinfectant on a
non-alcoholic basis.

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 bite briefly (relieves itching and swelling)

  • For contaminated skin, disinfect the puncture site (disinfectant based on non-alcoholic formula)

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

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

Special case: insect stings in the throat or facial area

With stings on the face - and especially in the neck area, as well as with an accidentally swallowed insect, there is always the risk of a swelling in the airway area. As soon as swelling occurs in the mentioned area, it is a critical emergency situation: then the emergency service or the emergency doctor should be alerted immediately.

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

  • to keep the swelling as minimal as possible using cooling (e.g., ice cubes) or a very cold drink.
  • If available, antiallergics such as antihistamines can also be administered in case of 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 be limited to the area of the sting 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 very tip of the sting. After a bee sting, it should always be checked whether the sting has remained in the skin – this is usually the case. Wasps, on the other hand, can sting repeatedly with the same sting. If the bee's sting 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 sting:

  • Fix the sting, e.g., 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 the prevention of 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

Attention, as insect repellent sprays are not approved for every age. Some of these insect repellents can cause allergic reactions, so it is always advisable to first "test" on a neutral skin area before applying the product extensively. For babies, the spray should not be sprayed directly on the skin. It is better to only carefully moisten 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 understandably. This article is for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice. This article 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 missions. For many years, they have been active as emergency doctors on emergency doctor 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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