True or false? Insects prefer biting infants to biting older children/adults. Answer: No one really knows. Perhaps infants get bitten more because they are “sitting ducks,” unable to shoo insects away. Regardless, infants need protection with the safest /most effective repellants available, for their comfort and their health. Here is what is known. 1. Choose […]
West Nile Virus/children/prevention/no need to panic
September 5, 2012 by
By the end of the third week of August 2012, 47 US states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes, says the Centers of Disease Control. A total of 1118 cases have occurred in people, with 41 deaths. These are the highest numbers reported in this time period since the virus […]
Travel/Children/Bedbugs
July 31, 2009 by
The odds of your family returning home from a vacation with bedbugs are extremely small – but steadily increasing. Bedbugs have been known for centuries. But in recent decades they have kept a low profile, restricting themselves to mostly seedy establishments. No more. They are popping up all over the world, sometimes in the plushest […]
Treating Insect Bites
June 3, 2008 by
Souvenirs of outdoor activities in the summertime include insect bites. It is almost impossible to have one without the other – except if you visit Antarctica where there are neither – no insects and no real summer. 1. Recognize serious allergic symptoms. Life-threatening reactions to insect bites (anaphylaxis) are extremely rare, especially in children. Such […]
Insect Repellents and Children
May 23, 2008 by
An incredible 900,000 types of insects are known to exist. Equally incredible is the number of insect repellents available. Here is what you should know: 1. The most thoroughly studied insect repellent is DEET. No repellent bears this name; it is the active ingredient in most products. Don’t be alarmed by its chemical formula, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide […]
Preventing Insect Bites
April 29, 2008 by
The great outdoors would be even greater if the insects didn’t bite and the bees didn’t sting. But they do. They await your family in picnic areas, in apple picking orchards and in the underbrush, the very places children enjoy being. And insects are smart. But there are many ways you can outsmart them. Here […]
Preventing Malaria
April 23, 2008 by
10 Tips For Preventing Malaria Every year thousands of travelers, including many children, return from the tropics with a souvenir they did not bargain for: malaria, a disease that can almost always be prevented. Here is what you have to know: 1. Understand malaria. The disease is caused by a microscopic parasite that is transmitted […]
Avoiding Insect Bites in the Tropics
April 23, 2008 by
Protecting children from insect bites can be challenging, especially when you travel to places where bites are potentially troublesome and children hassle you about wearing protective clothing and using repellents. Here is what you should know. 1. Are there disease-carrying insects at your destination? For travel to the tropics check the websites of the Centers […]
