[Lolafanana]

Hi

Does anyone have any experience with deer ticks/ lyme disease in babies? We went hiking on Sunday and I found 2 deer ticks on Elaina (5.1 weeks). My pediatrician said to put her on anti-biotics right away to stop any symptoms should she contract lyme disease. We then do a blood test in 4-6 weeks to tell us if she has it.

Should I give her the anti-biotics or wait? Anyone with experience/ knowledge about this?

TIA

Diana

 

[nonconformnmom]

My 20 mo got a tick on her and we removed it at home. We then took her to our family physician just for our peace of mind because we were concerned it could be a deer tick and worried about lyme disease. Our physician also recommended antibiotics as a preventative, and, although I'm normally very convservative where antibiotics are concerned, we decided to do them. We watched the area for a rash or anything unusual and nothing happened. She completed her course of antibiotics and we haven't worried further.

 

[mum2be]

I think with Lyme disease, you will see a bullseye type rash on the area where the tick was if it did indeed have Lyme disease. Any rash?

Were they filled with blood or did you just find them crawling on her?

 

[Lolafanana]

ummm, there is a rash where 1 of the ticks were but it may be from me picking at it. i guess i'll wait until tomorrow and see if the rash gets worse.

 

[MrsTC]

I freaked out when I had to pull two ticks off ds in the span of one week. Both times they weren't full of blood, so they hadn't been there long, and both times I kept the tick (you should always do this if you suspect lyme disease).

I washed, alcohol-ed, and put topical antibiotic ointment on it and watched the bite site for the bulls-eye rash or for irritation. None. So we're assuming he's fine.

The information I found said to seek medical attention if the bullseye rash developed, but otherwise the child should be fine. Preventative antibiotics? Not for us.

Good luck

 

[Lolafanana]

thank you for the reply. i think we'll watch it and hope nothing appears. i'm just so worried.

 

[LeosMama]

The bullseye rash only appears sometimes. The absence of it doesn't mean the child wasn't bitten or didn't get the pathogen that causes Lyme disease.

If I knew my child was bitten by a deer tick I would do the antibiotics. Lyme disease is nothing to mess around with. If you're not sure if she was bitten and you're in a Lyme area, I would suggest the abx.

I'm normally very conservative with abx, but would definitely do it for Lyme concerns.

Just my $0.02

 

[CawMama]

Are you sure it was a Deer Tick and not a Wood tick? Deer ticks are the size of a pinhead....Wood ticks are like the size of an eraserhead. I agree w/previous posts....if it wasn't embedded then it is no worry.

 

[LolaK]

Some Lyme disease facts:

A rash only appears in 20% of cases

A blood test often has a false negative

After 12 hours of a tick having bitten you there is 0% transmission of the spirokyte

After 24 hours there is something like 12% transmission of the spirokyte

My mom works down the hall from a tick expert at a state experiment station.

I also found a tick on my daughter recently, it was engorged so it had been there a while, but my ped refused to give me antibiotics. I swear I have been seeing symptoms in her all the time but I think it might be my imagination.