You probably already know how important it is to use insect repellent to reduce the risk of contracting a disease from a mosquito or tick and help avoid the annoying itching caused by their bites. Still, you may also be concerned about the chemicals used in bug spray, especially if you have kids.
The good news: Experts say that bug sprays registered with the Environmental Protection Agency Environmental, including those containing deet, pose little risk when used properly.
“As far as we know, they are effective,” says Lisa Asta, MD, spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. “They are safe when used as directed.”
However, some diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks can make children (and adults) quite sick. Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, can cause fever, rash, severe headache, stiff neck, and joint pain. Other insect-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, can be fatal.
So what are the best ways to keep mosquitoes and mosquitoes away? ticks of your children? Based on Consumer Reports’ insect repellent tests and other research, here’s what you need to know about the most effective insect repellents for kids.
Reduces the chance of exposure
There are some measures that, in the first place, do not involve repellents, and can help avoid contact between insects and children, so you can start with these.
For example, eliminate standing water in your yard, says Asta, and remove containers where water can collect and allow mosquitoes to breed, such as empty buckets, birdbaths and unused tires. To make the area less hospitable to ticks, clear away any dead leaves or excess brush and mow tall grass. (Read more about the modifications you can make in the garden against ticks).
If you are going to be in an area where there may be a lot of mosquitoes, have the children wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants . If you’re going on a hike or into the woods or walking in tall grass, make sure they also tuck their shirt into their pants, wear closed-toe shoes, and tuck pants into tall socks to help prevent tick bites .
Showering and checking for ticks soon after arriving from wooded or tick-heavy areas has been shown to help reduce the chances of contracting a tick-borne disease, so help your kids to check themselves for attached ticks.
Choose safe and effective repellents
In CR tests, the products that provide the most protection products have one of 3 active ingredients: deet, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or picaridin.
Products with deet get the majority of our highest scores, with concentrations of 25 a 30 % that provide the prot Most reliable and long-lasting action, some products we tested repel mosquitoes for more than 6 1/2 hours. 2 of the 4 repellants we’ve tested with a 15% deet have also earned our recommendation.
4 OLE and 4 picaridin products also earn our recommendation, providing 5 or more hours of protection. CR members can check out our insect repellant ratings for all the details.
But what about safety? This is what the experts say.
Deet
The safety of this chemical, which has been available to consumers in insect repellants since 1965, has been thoroughly studied over the years. However, in the decades of 1980 and 1965, after some health problems, such as seizures and brain damage, were reported in children who had been exposed to deet, some parents became concerned about the ingredient. And some people still worry.
But, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, those problems usually occurred after people didn’t follow label directions and used too much deet (PDF). A comprehensive EPA review of 1998 on the safety of deet (PDF) estimated that deet-related seizures are extremely rare and likely that occur in only about 1 in 100 million users. And according to the 2017 update on deet toxicity (PDF), from the Center for Disease Control, the overall risk of any problem appears to be quite low.
“To me, this puts it into perspective,” says Jerome Goddard, PhD, extension professor of entomology at Mississippi State University, meaning that the benefits of preventing disease Life-threatening insect-borne infections likely outweigh any risk, especially when deet is used as directed.
The CDC and EPA (and Consumer Reports) agree that use of deet in children it’s safe as long as you follow label directions (learn more on how to do that below).
And take common-sense precautions, advises former Navy entomologist and technical adviser Joe Conlon from that of the American Association for Mosquito Control. “You should not leave bottles with this product within the reach of children, because it is harmful if swallowed,” he says.
Picaridin
According to the EPA (PDF), picaridin, a synthetic chemical that resembles a compound found in pepper, causes Few known side effects. But it can irritate the eyes and skin. It has not been studied as thoroughly as deet, but health experts generally consider it safe for children.
Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
Evidence suggests that this ingredient, a synthetic version of a chemical derived from the lemon eucalyptus plant, is safe for your use in persons 3 years and older. But it is not approved for children under that age. And keep in mind that this ingredient is not the same as lemon eucalyptus essential oil, which is not registered as an insect repellant by the EPA.
Products natural
To avoid the use of chemical products, you can opt for more “natural” products, such as They contain ingredients like lemongrass oil, citronella oil, and peppermint oil. However, in CR’s tests, repellents with essential oils as active ingredients provided fewer hours of protection than the most effective products.
Use insect repellent on children the way correct
Once you have chosen an insect repellent for your child, take steps to maximize effectiveness and safety:
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The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends refraining from using repellent on babies under 2 months of age. One option, Asta says, is to cover your baby’s stroller with a mosquito net when you’re in outdoor areas with lots of bugs.
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Have an adult apply repellent to children. For the spray or lotion formula, adults should apply the repellent to their own hands and then rub it on the child’s skin.
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Apply repellents only to exposed skin or to the outside of clothing.
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Avoid putting repellent on children’s hands, as they could put their hands in their mouths. Do not apply it on cuts, wounds or irritated skin, or near the mouth of children.
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Remember that not all repellent formulations (aerosols, creams or wipes) are equally effective. Of the lotions and wipes Consumer Reports has tested, only those with deet as the active ingredient performed well enough to earn our recommendation.
Apply spray repellent in an open area to avoid inhaling it.
Remove the repellent with soap and water at the end of the day when the children enter the house, and wash the repellent-sprayed clothing before wearing it again.
How to keep ticks out of your garden
Ticks love tall grass and areas cool and moist. On the television show “Consumer 101” Consumer Reports expert Catherine Roberts explains how to make your garden less attractive to these pests.
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with the advertisers on this site. Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works with consumers to create a fair, safe, and healthy world. CR does not endorse products or services and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.