Delicate baby skin is a feast for bold mosquitoes. The beasts quickly find out that soft children's skin is much easier to pierce. Fatal consequences for the defenseless victims include swelling, excruciating itching and painful inflammation. This guide is dedicated to concerned parents with tips on the best home remedies for mosquito bites on babies and children. You can read about natural methods for prevention here.
What are good home remedies for mosquito bites in children?
Effective home remedies for mosquito bites in children include cooling cucumber slices, onions, parsley, ice cubes and cottage cheese, which reduce swelling. Fruit vinegar, toothpaste or baking soda can be used to relieve itching. Honey, vinegar or rubbing alcohol help with inflamed bites.
Relieve swelling with home remedies
A slight swelling tells attentive parents that a baby or toddler has been bitten by a mosquito, even before the itching becomes painful. If you use a natural home remedy now, it will only be a short interlude for your child. The following natural remedies from the garden and kitchen relieve a swollen mosquito bite:
Onions disinfect and relieve swelling
As an immediate measure, cut a fresh onion into slices. Simply place a juicy slice of onion on the swelling and secure it with adhesive plaster. Sulfur oil contained in onion juice quickly reduces the swelling of mosquito bites. Cucumber slices, ice cubes and cooling pads also have a decongestant effect. The juice in white cabbage leaves, parsley and ribwort plantain is said to be most effective against swollen mosquito bites in the little ones. Grind some leaves and let the juice drip onto the swelling.
While the first aid remedies are working, prepare a cooling curd pack. Spread cold low-fat quark on a compress as thick as a finger. So that the pack can work for at least 20 minutes, wrap a stabilizing bandage around it. This period of time is important so that the swelling goes down completely. Quark also has an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effect as long as the compress is moist.
Diese Hausmittel helfen bei juckenden Mückenstichen | Dr. Johannes Wimmer
Tip
It is often not clear whether small children are allergic to mosquito bites. Take your baby to the pediatrician immediately if symptoms occur, such as noticeably large mosquito bites, severe redness, unusual restlessness, fever or shortness of breath. Home remedies reach the limits of their effectiveness when children or adults are allergic to mosquito bites.
Home remedies for itchy mosquito bites
Hives after a mosquito bite on baby's skin are always accompanied by excruciating itching. With each bite, mosquitoes inject a salivary secretion under the skin to stop blood from clotting. As entomologists have discovered, this allows the beasts to drink in peace. As an immediate reaction, the body releases histamines within a few minutes, so that the swelling begins to itch. The following home remedies cure itching in small children:
- Fruit vinegar: Dip a cotton ball in vinegar and dab it on the mosquito bite
- Vinegar and s alt: for small children aged 2 and over, mix vinegar with a pinch of s alt and dab on
- Toothpaste: Apply toothpaste and let it dry (protect against licking with a plaster)
- Basil: Put 10 leaves in hot water for 3 minutes, let cool and apply
Some home remedies for swollen mosquito bites also have an effective anti-itch effect. These include onion slices and the juice of grated parsley. When out and about with the stroller, crushed ribwort plantain not only helps against swelling, but also relieves annoying itching.
Baking powder – insider tip for itchy mosquito bites
In the natural home and garden, the uses of baking powder go far beyond preparing delicious cakes. Nature lovers have long since discovered its effectiveness as a natural means of combating pests and plant diseases. Its effectiveness as a home remedy for itchy mosquito bites is still largely unknown. To use, mix baking soda with water to form a spreadable paste. Apply this to your child's itchy mosquito bite as thick as a finger. A bandage or plaster holds the agent in place for about 30 minutes. After this time the itching is history.
Excursus
Healing clay – the best home remedy for mosquito bites
Healing clay is a real miracle cure for mosquito bites
High priests of traditional natural medicine have been promoting healing clay as the best natural home remedy for a variety of ailments since the Middle Ages. Sebastian Kneipp, Adolf Just and Emanuel Felke belong to the illustrious circle. Applied externally, clay healing clay relieves the torturous itching after mosquito bites, inhibits swelling and prevents inflammation. The proven remedy is available as a powder in drugstores, he alth food stores and pharmacies. Preparation and use are extremely simple: mix seven teaspoons of healing clay powder with two teaspoons of water to make a paste and apply. If the paste dries, simply rinse with water and apply to the mosquito bite again.
Home remedies for inflamed mosquito bites
Small children are at increased risk of infected mosquito bites. With plenty of willpower, adults can just about control themselves when itching. Children immediately start scratching at the itching pain. Once the puncture wound is scratched open, bacteria penetrate and make the accident worse. Without countermeasures, initial mild inflammation can escalate into infections and even blood poisoning. The following lines will familiarize you with typical symptoms of inflamed mosquito bites and introduce good home remedies:
Symptoms
- severe swelling
- Hardening of the stitch site
- increased, persistent itching
- hot redness
- Rash and accumulation of pus under the skin
Take action if your child's mosquito bites are getting bigger and bigger. Don't wait until a weeping wound has formed to use anti-inflammatory home remedies. Many natural products have a disinfecting effect if they are used in a timely manner.
Anti-inflammatory home remedies
- Vinegar: dip a clean cloth or cotton ball in vinegar and rub the mosquito bite repeatedly
- Honey: drizzle on inflamed bite and rub in
- Onion: cut into slices and place on top
- Toothpaste: apply and let dry so that essential oils draw toxins from the skin
- Franzbrandy: dab with a cotton ball (caution: not suitable for open scratch wounds)
- currants: crush blackcurrants and place on the puncture wound
Honey has an anti-inflammatory effect
Before using the home remedy of your choice, clean and disinfect the mosquito bite carefully. Rub the puncture wound with warm water or alcohol. In this way, bacteria sitting in wait on the skin are prevented from penetrating an open insect bite. A small plaster placed on the treated wound prevents your child from scratching and keeps clothes clean.
The best home remedies at a glance
Mosquito bites make life difficult for the youngest family members because they itch and swell at the same time. Once you're not careful and the itchy spot is scratched and becomes painfully inflamed. A single home remedy for mosquito bites is often not enough to quickly relieve the symptoms. A good solution is to use natural remedies for itching and swelling at the same time. It's a good thing that some natural remedies are effective against several problems. The following table provides a condensed overview of the effectiveness and possible combinations:
| from the garden | effective against | from the kitchen | effective against | from bathroom/medicine cabinet | effective against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribwort Plantain | Itching, swelling | Vinegar | Itching, inflammation | Healing earth | Itching, swelling, inflammation |
| Onion slice | Itching, swelling | Honey | Swelling, inflammation | Franzbrandy | Itching, swelling |
| parsley | Pain | Lean quark | Swelling, redness, inflammation, pain | Toothpaste | Itching, inflammation |
| Basil | Itching | Ice cubes/cooling pad | Itching, swelling | ||
| cucumber slices | Swelling, cooling at the same time | Baking powder | Itching | ||
| White cabbage | Swelling | ||||
| currants | Inflammation |
Since there are no fears of interactions with home remedies, there are various combinations to choose from to treat the worst acute symptoms. The rule of thumb for all home remedies for mosquito bites is: the earlier you treat your child, the better the effectiveness. Please do not waste time getting a remedy because it is not in the house at the moment. A slice of onion applied immediately relieves your baby of itching and is more effective than a curd pack applied late.
Eyes, face and neck are taboo
Concerned parents can use numerous old home remedies for mosquito bites on small children. Before you apply the product of your choice to a large area, a quick test for possible allergic reactions is advisable. Sensitive areas such as eyes, face and neck are generally excluded from treatment with home remedies. Caution is always advised with babies and toddlers. Large mosquito bites combined with inflammatory symptoms in these regions should be entrusted to the expert treatment of your family doctor.
Preventing mosquito bites – this is how it works
Parents know no compromises when it comes to protecting their children. This includes preventing annoying mosquito bites. The following table lists the best home remedies for mosquitoes in children's rooms:
| for rubbing in | fragrant mosquito repellent | defensive plants |
|---|---|---|
| Clove oil | Citronella candles | Lemon Geranium |
| Coconut oil | Lemon slice studded with cloves | Eucalyptus |
| Lemon oil | Orange slice studded with cloves | Rosemary |
| Lavender oil | essential oils in fragrance lamp | Sage |
| Almond oil | Tomatoes | |
| Tea tree oil | Basil | |
| Lemongrass | ||
| Peppermint | ||
| Lemon balm |
Please note: Premium protection for your children against biting mosquitoes in the children's room is insect screens and mosquito nets. The household remedies mentioned provide additional protection if brazen female mosquitoes overcome the tight-meshed bulwark or use the open door as access.
Use preventative rubbing agents correctly
Prevention is better than aftercare
Mosquito repellent using coconut oil, clove oil or lavender oil is suitable for small children aged three and over. Stronger oils, such as tea tree oil or eucalyptus, are only recommended from the age of six. Dilute the essential oil of your choice with sunflower oil in a ratio of 1:3. When purchasing, please make sure that it is an organic essential oil.
Tip
Long clothing in light colors has proven to be the best mosquito protection for infants and small children. If an insect net is stretched over the stroller, cunning mosquitoes will no longer be able to get through to your darling.
Use defensive scents and plants wisely
Mosquito repellent plants should always be positioned out of the reach of children. To ensure that the strategy doesn't backfire, no puddles, no matter how small, should form on the substrate or in the saucer. Stagnant water of any kind attracts biting mosquitoes so irresistibly that the essential scents are ignored.
A fragrance lamp with essential oils or the citronella candle are well placed on the wardrobe, away from curious children's hands. Light the candle an hour before bedtime. After the bedtime story ends, blow out the candle.
Frequently asked questions
What helps against itching if my child or I get bitten by mosquitoes while out and about?
If you are a nature lover and hobby gardener and are familiar with plants, you can treat itchy mosquito bites immediately, even when you are out and about. Look out for ribwort plantain. The herbaceous wild perennial is a familiar sight along many hiking trails. The lanceolate leaves contain valuable ingredients that have a cooling and pain-relieving effect after insect bites. Simply grate the leaves and drizzle the juice onto the itchy mosquito bite.
What can you do to prevent mosquito bites in your child's room?
To prevent mosquitoes from getting into the children's room, equip the windows with insect screens. We also recommend covering the cradle or cot with a mosquito net. If cheeky bloodsuckers sneak into the room, your child will be well protected from mosquito bites behind the close-meshed net. A cool bedroom climate with temperatures between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius is helpful against mosquito bites, as this is proven to be he alth-promoting for your little ones and repels mosquitoes.
Which home remedy for mosquito bites works immediately on children?
Affected parents agree that ice cubes are a good home remedy with an immediate effect. In small children, cold relieves itching after mosquito bites before it becomes torture. The dreaded swelling is also nipped in the bud. Highly frequented advice sites, such as Frag-Mutti, expressly confirm this experience. If you don't have ready-made ice cubes at hand, cut an onion and place the slices on the mosquito bites.
In several forums, a heated spoon is recommended as a home remedy for mosquito bites. Is the method suitable for my two-year-old child?
The idea of the heated spoon is copied from the electronic stitch healer. A mosquito bite is briefly exposed to heat of 51 degrees Celsius. Due to the heat, the toxins in the mosquito saliva break down, noticeably relieving itching and swelling. Manufacturers expressly point out that so-called bite aways are under no circumstances suitable for the delicate skin of infants and small children.
Will taking vitamin B as a natural home remedy against mosquito bites help my child?
In pseudo-scientific sources you can read that increased intake of vitamin B is said to be an effective repellent against mosquito bites. The theory behind this is that vitamin B changes the smell of the skin to such an extent that mosquitoes are no longer attracted. Unfortunately, this view belongs in the land of fables because there is a lack of sound scientific findings as comprehensible proof.
Is a mosquito bite dangerous for my child?
In Germany, mosquito bites are generally harmless to children and adults. Insect bites in the summer usually cause annoying itching and slight swelling. An exception applies if your child has an allergic reaction to it. Severe symptoms occur, such as severe itching, massive swelling, circulatory problems, nausea and diarrhea. In this case, you should consult a doctor immediately. In all other cases, a natural home remedy is sufficient to alleviate the symptoms. Use a plaster or bandage to prevent your child from scratching a bloody mosquito bite and effectively prevent inflammation.
Tip
So that your baby doesn't scratch the mosquito bite when he's unattended, cut his fingernails as short as possible. Ideally, you don't wait until an emergency to use nail scissors. During the mosquito season from March to November, short fingernails help prevent scratched, inflamed insect bites.
