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 reactions are […]

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Tags: Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen (Advil Motrin), Insect bites, Itchiness, Stinging insects (bees wasps hornets), Ticks

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 Lots of products […]

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Tags: Breast-feeding, DEET, Eczema, Infants, Insect repellents, Picaridin, Skin conditions

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 is […]

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Tags: Epinephrine kits, Infants, Insect bites, Insect repellents, Stinging insects (bees wasps hornets)

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 to humans by the […]

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Tags: Breast-feeding, Infants, Malaria, Medications, Newborns, Tropics

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 for Disease Control […]

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Tags: DEET, Dengue fever, Insect bites, Malaria, Permethrin, Pyrethroid, Tropics