Bed bug bites on a child's body: what a bite looks like, how bed bugs bite children, what to do, how to help at home

Reader Question:

Lily

We slept over at my child's godparents' house tonight (they live in another city). In the morning, I saw several bites on my 3-year-old daughter's arm. The next day the story repeated itself, but the red spots were already on her back. Now it is hot, so the child sleeps without a blanket, there is access to the body from any parasites. The bites are very itchy, painful, on the second day there was swelling. I don't know what to think. I'm afraid that a stronger reaction will develop.
I'm curious as to exactly who is biting. My daughter's godmother says they have mosquito fumigators everywhere, which means it's someone else. That leaves me looking for parasites that live in the apartment. I have some suspicions, but first we need to understand what bed bug bites look like in children. I have not encountered anything like this before. I don't know what to do next yet, I'm hoping for help from an expert. Give a detailed description of house bug bites, interested in the reaction on a child's body. Thank you.

The author of the portal answers the question:

What bed bugs are, the principle of feeding. What their bites look like in children: close-up photos

The insects are inconspicuous, resembling some other household pests.

This principle of nutrition contributes to the unpleasant manifestations: red spots, itching.

What a bed bug bite in a child is confused with

So, by method of elimination, we continue to look for the cause of the rash.

Symptoms on the skin of children after bites

Some signs of an attack bedwetters are characteristic of a number of diseases (e.g., allergies, contact dermatitis): itching, hyperemic areas, swelling, painful sensations. But there are also symptoms that help to make sure that the negative manifestations are caused by Insects:

• burning immediately after contact - occurs if it bites worm, bites in this case look the same as in the attack of adults, but the symptoms are detected more quickly;
• formation of bite tracks - red spots line up in a band, it is not always straight, it can be zigzagging, but the main feature is that bed bugs make several punctures nearby, so they get enough blood, and the number of red spots varies from 2 to 6-8 pieces, it depends on how hungry they are parasite;
• Scratching: in the area of hyperemic areas, you can see scratches, lesions of the outer skin, this is a consequence of severe itching, similar signs occur when a child scratches the puncture point of the skin.

What are bedbug bites dangerous for children?

When in contact with blood-sucking insects substances remain in the body, which the parasite introduces to get food in a safe way. They are the only ones that cause harm to the baby. They are perceived by the body as an allergen. As a result, negative reactions develop. At the same time, the risk of other effects increases.

Secondary infection

When trauma to the external skin increases the likelihood of pathogenic particles penetrating through the wounds. If scratching occurs in the areas where the parasites have punctured the skin, it increases the risk of developing infectious diseases and inflammatory processes. Adults are not always able to tolerate intense itching, while children find it much harder to restrain themselves from scratching their skin.

In addition, the child of the first years of life has not yet followed the rules of hygiene, which many times increases the risk of infection.

Allergic reaction

Children have an immune system that is not yet fully developed, which contributes to the development of negative reactions when exposed to foreign substances. As a result, symptoms are more intense than in adults. The most pronounced signs are:

• intolerable itching;
• large red spots, swelling aggravates these manifestations, as a result, the bite marks look large, the pain increases.

Increased nervousness

If a child was bitten bedbugsThis gradually leads to disruption of sleep and nervous system function. Irritability appears (in older children), while babies become more capricious, tearful, they are not yet able to express the depth of unpleasant feelings, which is reflected in changes in behavior. At the same time, the duration of sleep is reduced, the child sleeps restlessly or cannot fall asleep because of fear. As a result, the baby will be overexcited during the day.

So there is a lack of rest, overwork, and the mood is often bad.

Properly examining a child

You need to distract your baby so that he is not disturbed by what is happening. Then it will be easier to perform the examination. The main recommendations in this case are:

• first of all, you should look for bites bedbugs at home on the child, examining certain places: limbs (upper, lower), neck, face, in summer traces of a bedbug attack are also visible on the stomach and back;
• pay attention to the specific tracks, which are formed by several spots of red color (from 2 to 8 pcs.).

Difficulties in diagnosis

First of all, it is noted that babies of the first years of life are not yet able to give an exact definition of their sensations, so it is difficult to understand what factors cause discomfort. In addition, the symptoms of bed bug bites bedbugs in children often resemble an allergic reaction, which also makes it impossible to immediately identify the cause of the redness.

When to see a doctor

Dangerous signs to look out for when the outer skin is affected by pets parasites:

You can manage on your own only when the symptoms of a parasite attack are mild or moderate. You should understand what bed bug bites look like in children so that you can react to developing complications in a timely manner.

First aid

It is necessary to apply baking soda gruel to the bite marks. This is a safe way to relieve itching. The affected areas should be treated with an antiseptic. If there are scratches on the child's body, you can apply local remedies with anti-inflammatory properties.

Use special medications to treat allergies in children must be consulted with a doctor and a diagnosis must be made.

In case of a strong reaction, give the minimum allowable dose of the drug, calculated according to the age or weight of the child, and then contact a specialist (emergency room or call an ambulance).

Bedbugs and infants: the course of action

Given that babies can develop different diseases accompanied by the occurrence of similar symptoms as bedbug infestation, it is recommended to clarify which of them are most likely to occur. To do this, you can keep a notebook and write down your observations.

This will allow you to understand under what conditions the characteristic symptoms appear, and how to treat certain pathological conditions.

Table of observations on the example of a 10-month-old child

There are many different ways to describe your observations of the child. It is important to describe the child's actions, define the consequences to which they led, and also give recommendations on how to behave in various situations.

Bedbugs in kindergarten

Such a situation can be the result of violations of sanitary requirements, hygiene rules. However, such conditions are rarely created. It happens that insects are brought along with children's things, but this is possible if the child lives in poor sanitary conditions or if parents do not yet know that their home is infested, and children's clothes were stored near the socket insects at home.

It is possible for parasites to enter the group through workers who perform repair work, or together with furniture.

Handling and treatment of bedbug bites in children

First the affected areas should be washed with soap and water. Then they are treated with an antiseptic (Chlorhexidine is suitable). The next step is the use of symptomatic treatment.

Medications

Consider different types of drugs:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
• hormonal (prescribed by a doctor, have restrictions on age and use);
• antihistamines.

The first 2 groups include ointment, cream, gel. Examples of topical remedies: Fenistil, Spasatel, Afloderm, Psilo-Balsam. They are applied to the affected areas. Universal drugs of systemic action (for patients of different ages, starting from 1 year):

Such remedies are taken on a regimen for a limited period of time.

Folk remedies

To alleviate the condition of the child, various remedies are applied to the affected areas:

How to protect your child from bedbug bites

They use the safest possible funds. It is necessary not only to protect the child from parasites, but also to prevent the occurrence of symptoms of allergies to used substances.

Folk ways

Recommended funds from bedbugs:

• in the room lay out strong-smelling herbs (Wormwood);
• inside furniture, along baseboards, treat surfaces with a solution containing essential oils geranium, rosemary, eucalyptus;
• The floors are washed with vinegar;
• the mattress is sprinkled with Pyrethrum powder.

Chemical treatment of the home

Insecticide-based products are not recommended for use in a room where children sleep. However, as a last resort, powders and crayons are considered, but they can only be used in hidden areas: inside the furniture frame, under the mattress and baseboards, since the child will come into contact with the poison if he has already learned to crawl.

Of the aerosols, choose products that are odorless (Dichlofos Neo, Raid, Raptor).

Prevention of repeated bites

The recommendations do not differ from those given to protect the adult's bedroom:

Child Bite Reviews

Expert tips

Anna

Entomologist, researcher. Work experience of 16 years.

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- I advise to make sure that attack just bed parasites, for this you can put under the feet of the bed containers of water, the inner walls should be oiled, still recommend using double-sided adhesive tape - glued to the base of the couch, bed;
- For prevention, apply lines with Mashenka chalk around the perimeter of the vent, along baseboards, inside furniture;
- if the child is allergic, hormonal drugs are used on the doctor's recommendation, because in this case the symptoms persist longer, improvement does not come right after the start of treatment, and therefore requires a drug of higher effectiveness.

Conclusion

When red spots appear on the body suggest the possibility of an attack parasites (if for no other reason). To understand how to act, you need to make sure that the biters are Insects:

1. Bite symptoms bedbugs: red spots that form a track, along with itching, lumps remain. Pay attention to the timing of these signs - only in the morning after waking up.
2. In children, the reaction to bedbugs is more severe: the hyperemic areas are larger, babies are less tolerant of itching, and pain appears. It is recommended to treat the symptoms after diagnosis, the difficulty is that other diseases manifest themselves in a similar way.
3. Antihistamines, anti-inflammatory agents, antiseptics are used to treat stings. Possible complications: allergies, sleep disorders and nervousness, secondary infection.