From Baby Center
July 18, 2019
Tick-borne diseases, in particular, have skyrocketed in the past few years. Thankfully, there are a number of steps you can take to lower the risk of bug bites. These include:
- Wear repellent: Use EPA-registered insect repellent if you’re in an area with mosquitos or ticks. Check to make sure that the repellents you use are safe for your child.
- Avoid tick habitats: Wooded areas, leaf-covered ground, and places with tall grass are popular with these blood-sucking insects. If you do venture into these locations, wear long pants and check your body and clothing for ticks afterward, and take a shower. Regularly check for ticks on your pets as well.
- Wear loose, long-sleeved clothing: Light-colored, tightly woven clothing that covers the arms and legs can help protect you and your children from mosquito bites.
- Use screen doors and windows: Repair any tears in your screens at home, and stay in lodgings that have screens or air conditioning to keep mosquitos at bay.
- Control bugs around your home: Empty all containers of water, such as buckets and birdbaths, so they don’t become a breeding ground for mosquitos. Remove leaf litter and clear tall grasses and brush around homes and children’s play areas to help reduce tick populations.
- International travelers should be especially alert to bug-borne disease risks in their destination country and take appropriate safety measures. You can use this interactive search tool to check for health warnings by country, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It includes search options specific to pregnant women and families traveling with kids.
Of course, the above suggestions are no guarantee against a bite. And no one is immune. Americans from every state have contracted illnesses from bug bites.