Insect Bites - What To Do About Them In Children

How do you get insect bites?

Bites come from insects such as mosquitos, fleas or spiders.

What should I do if my child gets an insect bite?

• check and clean the bite every day
• wash the bite with cool water
• keep your child's nails short and clean
• do things to stop the itching like soaking in a cool bath, or putting calamine lotion or aloe vera on the bites
• treat pets for fleas
• put mosquito nets around beds, put insect screens on windows and close windows at night
• wear close-fitting cotton sleeves or pyjamas
• use children's insect repellent
• go to the doctor if the insect bite is near the eye

What should I do if the insect bite gets worse?

Go to the doctor if any of these things happen:

• the bites last more than 2 weeks
• the red, swollen area keeps getting bigger or more painful
• there is pus in the bite

This could be a serious skin infection such as cellulitis.

Will my child need time off from kura or school?

If your child feels well they can go to kura or school.

Source: Workbase and Ministry of Health printout (PDF, 189KB)