Anyone's toddler ever had an insect bite? If so, what did it look like?

[Jerlin]

My 19 month old was recently bitten by some sort of insect. We think it might be a fly, as my DH shoo'ed one away off my DS's arm. We saw a tiny pink area where the fly was. Then the next day, it became more pink/red. And then the next day, there was a raised reddish bump. Please advise. Thanks!

[dauphinette]

To answer your question, yes my dd has had an insect bite, several just this week actually.  She usually swells up in the bite area a lot more than I would but they always go away in a few days.  If I feel so inclined I will clean the area but more often then not I don't.

Does any of that answer your question?

[dauphinette]

Do you have horse flies?  Might it have been a spider bite?  Did you clean it?

[crunchy_mommy]

LOL you mean there are toddlers that HAVEN'T had an insect bite?? Do I just live in a really buggy area??? DS has gotten a lot of mosquito and fly bites, they are just small pink bumps (usually less than 1/4" diameter) that go away in a couple of days.

[1blueheron]

What part of the country do you live in?  It's deerfly season here in New England, and DD gets bitten at twice/week.

[Verloren]

I couldn't begin to count the number of bug bites DS has had. We have lots of mosquitos and deer flies right now. I never do anything for the bites unless they are really itchy. They swell up like crazy and stick around for awhile but they don't usually bother him.

[Jerlin]

Thank you all for your replies. I sound silly with the question, but I'm a first time mom and I freak out over everything! I don't think it's a horsefly bite, just some sort of fly bite. It's just so pitiful when I hear him tell me that it itches and tries to scratch at it. The bite has been there for at least 3 days, and it looks like it might hang around a little while longer. How long do they usually go away? And when should I take him to the doctor? Like how do I know it's bad enough to take him to the doctor?

[Verloren]

I think the only reasons you would need to take him to the doctor are if he had a serious allergic reaction or if it got infected somehow (from a lot of scratching maybe?). DS and I often have mosquito and fly bites that leave a red bump and itch for several days. It's nothing to worry about. I was pretty upset when DS got his first bite (he was probably 3 months old!). It's just such a normal part of our existence that I don't give it a second thought anymore. I also find that the first bites of the season bother me a lot more. Your DS is probably reacting strongly to it since it's his first exposure.

[crunchy_mommy]

There are topical meds you can get (After Bite etc.) to take away the itch/sting. We don't use anything, bites are just part of our existence here.

You don't sound silly for worrying, I just want to know where you live so I can move there & not get bitten anymore!

Like the pp said, if it gets infected (I've never seen this happen but it could I guess if he scratches A LOT!) or if it swells up like an allergic reaction (i.e. his whole arm & fingers swell up or something, which generally happens pretty soon after the bite so you're probably out of the woods on that) then you should call your doc, otherwise just try to keep him comfortable, sometimes a baking soda paste helps, or even spitting on it (I know it sounds weird & gross but I swear it works!!)

Everyone around here has gotten hundreds (probably thousands) of bug bites and I only know of one time when any of us ever had to see a doc so I'm sure he'll be just fine!

[dejagerw]

If you're still nursing, put some breast milk on it. :)

[sunnygir1]

Yep, lots of bug bites here.

If my kids are really itchy, I use a homeopathic topical, Sting Stop or Bite Care Gel.  The suggestion of baking soda paste is a good home remedy, just mix a little baking soda with water and smear it on there.

If your lo is scratching, the bite could be around for quite a while due to the added irritation.  As a pp said, I wouldn't go to the doctor unless something really scary happened.  It will most likely go away on its own fairly soon.

[mamalex23]

If I notice early on I will clean with witch hazel and this seems to reduce the amount of swelling/redening that might otherwise appear. First bites seemed the worst (I did call our Dr. the first few times and he was reasuring- as long as bite is just red and a little swollen and baby/toddle/kid is not Miserable or having Other symptoms then it should all be just fine). 

DS has had some bites that didn't disappear completely for nearly, or maybe, a week. They did start diminishing after a few days though.

I have read that a paste of witch hazel and baking soda is great for insect bites.