Insect bites / stings

In general

Children can be stung or bitten by various types of insects such as mosquitoes, chiggers, fleas, bedbugs, wasps, bees, horseflies, gnats, ants, and centipedes.

This is unpleasant and painful for the child, but is rarely dangerous ( Insect stings). Often, the soreness will have lessened or disappeared completely by the next day.

If the child is allergic or if the child has been stung in his/her mouth or throat, however, the child may have a severe reaction, which requires immediate medical attention.

Home treatment

1. Move the child away from the area if possible in order to avoid any more stings. 
2. Keep the body part that has been stung still. 
3. If a stinger is lodged in the wound, you can try to pull it out with tweezers or your fingernails, or scrape it away by scraping the skin, for example, with a credit card or with the back of a knife. 
4. Then wash the site with soap and water, or wipe with a topical disinfectant. 
5. Applying a cold compress or ice will relieve the pain and reduce the swelling. Do not rub or massage the area; just place the compress directly on the skin.
6. If the child has been stung in the mouth, give the child an ice cube to suck or a little cold water to drink to ease the pain and reduce the swelling.
7. If the area is itchy or sore, you can apply 1% hydrocortisone cream once or twice a day for a few days. If there are many bites or they are very itchy, antihistamines ("Benadryl" and others) taken by mouth may help. Antihistamines are available over the counter from pharmacies, in liquid or tablet form. 
8.  Pain relief medicine such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen may be given if the child is in pain.

When to seek medical advice

You do not need to seek medical advice if the child has had a mild to moderate local reaction to an insect bite or sting.

See the doctor immediately or call 911 if:

• The child has been stung / bitten by a bee or wasp in the mouth or on the neck.
• You suspect an anaphylactic reaction. Such a reaction usually begins within 20 minutes and typically not later than 2 hours after the incident. The child has a swollen face, lips or tongue, difficulty swallowing, cough and difficulty breathing with the sensation of not being able to get enough oxygen. These symptoms are often accompanied by hives and severe itchiness.
• The child is confused, has fainted or has lost consciousness after an insect sting.
• The child has previously had a serious reaction to insect bites. 
• The child has had more than 10 stings at once from bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets.

Make an appointment with your doctor if:

• The child has a pronounced local reaction such as severe swelling, redness, or pain at the site of the bite. 
• You suspect infection at the bite wound. Such an infection usually occurs about 24 to 48 hours after the sting and is characterized by increased pain, tenderness, swelling and reddening at the site of the sting, sometimes accompanied by fever and general fatigue or lethargy. 
• You suspect serum sickness reaction. This uncommon condition is a "delayed" hypersensitivity reaction, a type of allergic reaction that may occur 1-2 weeks after the sting. The symptoms of serum sickness are joint pains, rash (usually in the form of hives), fever, and enlarged lymph glands.