Insect Bites - What To Do About Them In Children
Insect Bites - What To Do About Them In Children
An insect bite is usually a red itchy bump. There may be a blister in the middle. Sometimes insect bites are painful (especially spider bites) as well as itchy.
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)
This page last reviewed 08 May 2020.
Do you have any feedback for KidsHealth?
If you have any feedback about the KidsHealth website, or have a suggestion for new content, please get in touch with us.
Email us now