Reaction to Mozzie bites

[rynosmum]

My DS has a quite severe reaction to Mozzie bites. Within a couple of seconds, the area starts to swell and within 2 days, the whole area is huge and very hot. He had one on his upper leg that swelled his whole knee joint and below for 3 days.

Does anyone else have this with their little one and how do you treat it ?
:confused:
Also, what mozzie-preventions have you found to work well ?

[Cheekychops]

My DS2 also has a very severe reaction to Mozzie's. DS1 hardly ever gets bitten and when he does, it's just like a normal mozzie bite, but DS2 gets bitten all over his arms and legs if there is one mozzie around - it looks awful and stays for about a week!!! They get really huge and red and hot and swell!! But my neice works in a chemist and I asked her about it and she just sent me this email the other day about about Mozzie liquid for kids that you give them 1 ml a day and it stops them from being bitten. It comes in a 200ml bottle for about $25 I think, so I am going to try this. I am allergic to mozzies and if I get bitten on the finger for example my whole finger swells up and I can't bend it, but I just put up with it cause I didn't think there was anything you could do, but apparently this mozzie liquid really works. So, hope this helps.....

[Cheekychops]

Oh I forgot to say that when they are anoying him, like itching or stinging, I just dab calomine lotion on them and it seems to settle them down for a little bit - long enough to distract him anyway.

[Chickadee]

My 2 year old DD reacts badly too. Hot and swollen although usually it is mostly gone after 24-36 hours. 3 days would have me worried. I react with bad swelling too so we figure she got it partly from me. My DH's theory is that as she is bitten more her immune system will get used to it (?) and she'll react less. He thinks this is why he has less reaction than me, cause he grew up getting bitten all the time but I was a city kid and rarely did till I hit my teens and started camping.

I don't have any remedies. We have some Stingose that we try to apply but usually don't realise she's been bitten in time.

Good luck.

[Imogensmum]

My bub doesn't have this prob but one of the little girls at the daycare i worked at had the same thing!

They get huge and red and hot! not nice! We used ice packs on her- and the doctors prescribed an anti- inflamitry(sp??) cream/ antihistimine.

we used to keep her covered with cotton long sleeved and long panrs so still cool but covered IYKWIM, and used a herbal rid formula (which i can't think what it was called but got it from the chemists)

Hope that helps- she also ad the same reaction to ants so just be aware of that!

Shannan

[Cheekychops]

The doctor told me when DS1 was younger that all kids react badly to mozzies at around 12months old, but then grow out of it. Unfortunately DS2 hasn't yet. Neither have I and I've been bitten heaps growing up.......so maybe most people build up immunity but maybe some are just plain allergic??? I also am allergic to wasps etc......so like Imogensmum said....beware if he is bitten by anything else like that - keep a close eye on him for any sort of reaction to them too.

[sopolicha]

My boy has the same thing, but it does not last for as long only a couple of days. The last bad one he was bitten on his temple and his eye swelled shut. Poor little man looked like he had been boxing and lost.

If he has been bitten I use Claratyne which is a good antihistamine from the chemist and try to keep the bite site really clean, my GP told me they do get infected quite easily (why different from any other cut I don't know). You can also you a steriodal cream which also keeps the swelling down.

[kimmy]

No but my bil has the same thing happen to him when he gets bitten by mozzies,
he has always been told that he is allergic to them.

[Chickadee]

I think mossies do inject a tiny bit of an anti-clotting stuff when they draw blood, so its possible that some people have more of an allergic reaction to that than others.

[reAllytee]

Ok well ive had this since i was little & was told id grow out of it & havent :confused:
Anyways the best thing in ways of repellant i have found that work for me is the Autan ( think thats how its spelt ) in a yellow bottle with red lid. Found this overseas in 2000 & it was my life line while travelling ! Not sure if its suitable for bubs but if needed i would use it but obviously not on his face or hands where he can ingest it.
Also invest in the little plug in mozzie repellants they have little pads you slip in every nite & they are then warmed to release the repellant. I use this in bubs room when needed but luckily he doesnt suffer like i do so i use it in mine & my parents got me one of them when i was little also.
Calamine & even bepanthen work but this is going to sound really weird but as i have tried things out over the years as have my parents but even using your own saliva eases it weird i know ! Bu i used to sit & bite them then suck on them if i got them on my arm LOL :eek: I also found cold packs work as it helps ease the burning sensation. When i was little my dad also used to hold a lighter near it to help take the sting away not really suitable for a baby though hehe.
All i can advise though is try not to let bubs scratch it as someone else has said the real problems start when it gets infected !
Good luck !
Poor bubs give him lotsa cuddles n kisses :)

[rynosmum]

Thanks girls - I'll try some of what you have recommended. I took him to two different Drs in the one day once as I couldn't believe that a Mozzie bite could cause such swelling.

We use a cortisone cream just to stop him from itching them and cover them up but generally the whole area is so swelled it is hard to see the bite.

I hope he does grow out of it - his Dad gats anaphylaxsis from a different insect sting (a hairy caterpiller but that's a whole other story....):rolleyes:

[reAllytee]

I hope he does grow out of it - his Dad gats anaphylaxsis from a different insect sting (a hairy caterpiller but that's a whole other story....):rolleyes:


Oooooo my mum has this !
Can still remember watchin her one day after she got stung as it had climbed into her jeans when on the line so she put them on & yeah :(
Not nice !
Most kids do grow out of it .... I just like to be different :p

[rynosmum]

That's scary. maybe you both have diluted reactions (but still more than normal) to insect bites as your parents have had them ?

Even though Anaphylaxsis is a life-threatening illness (we almost lost DH a few years back when they couldn't get the Adrenalin into him quickly enough), people often giggle when this big gruff guy says that he's allergic to hairy caterpillers.....:rolleyes: