After a long day, I finally put my baby to sleep but much to my horror, I find so many mosquito bites on my baby’s legs, feet, arms, and face too!
Oh, dear… My baby could have been bitten by mosquitoes somewhere in my house, his grandparents’ house, or perhaps at the park where I just took a quick evening stroll with him earlier.
I am sure you have previously witnessed horrifying mosquito bites on your baby’s body or face and every time this happens, they never fail to give me the jitters.
Mosquitoes easily fall under one of the most feared tiny bugs in my book. Why? Because when it comes to mosquitoes, what usually worries me is not just the irritating itches and redness that the mosquito bites can cause on my child’s skin, rather, I am more concerned about the source of the bites, i.e. whether the bites are from regular mosquitoes or the infected ones.
Problems With Mosquito Bites
As we all know, mosquitoes are part of our everyday life here in Malaysia and often deemed as a harmless common pest. We encounter these buzzing, blood-sucking nuisances everywhere we go.
The unsettling part, though, is that mosquito bites go beyond causing some bothersome itching and swelling. On some unfortunate cases, mosquito bites are legitimately dangerous as they hold the power to wreak havoc on our child’s well-being and can make our little one severely ill.
Fun Fact: Do you know that mosquitoes kill more people every day than sharks do?
Has it ever occurred to you that mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world; responsible for millions of deaths because they can cause lethal diseases, such as dengue, malaria, Zika, and Japanese encephalitis.
This said, we should not undermine mosquito bites and in fact, be worried about these obnoxious all-too-familiar flying insects, especially if they have bitten our child.
Three Myths About Mosquito Bites
Fending off mosquito bites is a constant battle and preventing mosquito bites is a forever tricky business for every mum. However, how much do you know about mosquito bites?
Here are the top three myths and their accompanying truths about mosquito bites you should know!
Myth #1: Mosquitoes only bite at night
False: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mosquitoes carrying different diseases are active at different times of the day.
Fact: The time of a day a mosquito bites depends on its species.
The Anopheles mosquito that transmits malaria and Culex mosquito, which spreads lymphatic filariasis – also known as elephantiasis – that presents as severe swelling in the arms, legs, or genitals, mostly bite at night.
Meanwhile, Aedes mosquitoes, easily identified by their zebra-striped legs, which can spread viruses that cause dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika are active mostly during the day.
With the risks of getting bitten by mosquitoes during the heat of the day and at night are basically the same, it is crucial for children and infants to be protected from mosquito bites at all times, especially if you live in a tropical country like Malaysia or are travelling to an area with a high risk of dengue infection.
Being more vigilant towards mosquito bites is no question with young children and babies around as they are generally more vulnerable to all forms of mosquito bites.
Young children and babies’ immune systems are not fully developed yet and certain mosquito bites can lead to very serious illness and trigger health complications in little ones.
Myth #2: Mosquitoes hate air-conditioned rooms
True: Mosquitoes typically hate and cannot handle cold places so they are not likely to be found in an air-conditioned space but you will still find one or two wandering around your air-conditioned room.
Fact: Some types of mosquitoes do live indoors and in air-conditioned rooms.
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can live in places like under potted-plant containers, and nooks and crannies in homes and yards.
While it is true that spending most of your time indoors, with doors and windows shut, will lower the risks of getting bitten by mosquitoes – there is STILL a probability of getting bitten by mosquitoes inside your house and in an air-conditioned room.
That is why experts recommend sleeping under mosquito nets in high-risk areas even when air-conditioning is switched on.
Myth #3: Mosquitoes bite you because you have ‘sweet’ blood
True: People with certain blood types are more prone to mosquito bites than others. Mosquitoes seem to bite some people more than others, even when everyone is in the same place at the same time, with the same amount of exposed skin.
Fact: Mosquitoes appear to be more attracted to people with blood type O than other blood types. The United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a study observing the landing preference of the Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
From the study, when looking at blood types A, B, AB, and O, the mosquitoes were more attracted to persons with type O blood, with type A blood being the next preferred blood type.
However, Dr. Baumann-Blackmore explains how it is not just your blood type that lures mosquitoes in your direction.
“Substances, such as ammonia and lactic acid, found in sweat are known to attract mosquitoes,” Dr. Baumann-Blackmore says.
“People with higher body temperatures, due to genetics, exercise, fever, or pregnancy, also attract them. Wearing black, dark blue, or red-coloured clothing can also make you a mosquito magnet.”
Although exposures to mosquitoes may be higher at certain times, the best way to prevent mosquito bites is to always use repellents to ward off the uninvited mosquito menace.
Lemongrass As Natural Mosquito Repellents
Lemongrass has long been used as a natural bug and mosquito repellent. Citronella, the essential oil found in lemongrass, is believed to help in keeping mosquitoes at bay through its strong fragrance, which mosquitoes apparently find abhor.
In the past few years, I have been religiously using sprays, oils, or lotions that contain citronella to keep my children safe from bug bites, especially the pesky mosquito bites.
I always keep stock of kid-safe insect repellents at home, in the car, and inside my diaper bag so I can apply them on my children’s arms, legs, and sometimes necks whenever necessary. For example, apply during the mornings before they go to school or in the evenings when they head to play at the park or playground.
Although it is generally safe to apply bug repellent products for kids on young children, did you know that mosquito repellent creams should be avoided for tots less than 36 months of age?
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With MamyPoko® Extra Dry Protect, you can enjoy all the same benefits of MamyPoko® Extra Dry that protects against leakage with powerful absorbency up to 12 hours, but with extra protection from mosquitoes that we cannot seem to get rid of! With its other features, such as Speed Airwave to keep baby’s bottom extra dry and 360’ Airflow for preventing stuffy discomfort, your baby can continue to enjoy long hours of quality sleep through the night!
Say Bye-Bye To Mosquitoes With Mamypoko® Extra Dry Protect
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