From BZ/dpa
When it’s warm outside, not only children cavort on the playground or in the garden, but also insects that can bite properly. Especially when the offspring steps on a wasp or grabs a bee. In such a situation, of course, comfort and tear drying help. But not only.
A pediatrician and a pharmacist answer questions about insect bites in children:
Can I see which insect stung?
“You can’t normally see that,” says Ursula Sellerberg from the Federal Chamber of Pharmacists. “Unless it was a bee and the stinger is still stuck in the skin.” Parents should carefully remove this – without squeezing out the venom sac that may still be attached.
“This little sack independently pumps poison into the sting,” says Ulrich Fegeler from the Federal Association of Paediatricians. If the stinger is removed quickly, less poison gets into the skin.
Don’t scratch – even if it’s difficult Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-tmn
What is first aid for insect bites?
The first commandment is: cool. “Crushed ice is best,” says Ulrich Fegeler. His advice: put ice cubes from the freezer in a cloth and then break them up with a board or hammer. Parents should not put the ice directly on the child’s skin, but leave it in the cloth – otherwise there is a risk of local frostbite.
Even if there are no scientific studies on this yet: Grandma’s home remedies have often proven themselves over decades and can provide good service. Like a sliced onion that is placed on the wound. For pharmacist Sellerberg, for example, this tip goes back to “knowledge from experience”.
By the way, it is important that no dirt gets into the stitch. This also brings bacteria into the wound, which can enter the body and cause inflammation. According to Fegeler, disinfecting is not wrong, but it does not have to be done immediately. A plaster over the wound also counteracts scratching, which could also get dirt into the puncture site.
Do electronic pens help?
They fight insect bites with heat. The principle: Around 50 degrees change the proteins in the insect venom in a matter of seconds so that no swelling and no itching occurs. But the pen must be used quickly. “It’s extremely effective,” says Ulrich Fegeler. “However, the children have to go along with it.”
Because there is a short pain during the application. Therefore, the sting healers should not simply be used without prior agreement on the child.
Ursula Sellerberg advises parents to try the pen on themselves beforehand. If you then judge that your child could bear the pain, you should explain to him how the pen works. So the child should be old enough to understand that.
“If you take it very seriously, the pen causes a small, first-degree burn, like sunburn,” says pediatrician Fegeler. “But it’s so tiny that it doesn’t matter and there is at most a brief, small reddening.” However, it is taboo to produce this heat yourself, for example by pressing a heated spoon on the wound. “Unlike with the pen, this is too uncontrolled a temperature.”
Does gel have to be on the wound?
Not necessarily. “As a rule, the symptoms subside by themselves after a few days,” says Ursula Sellerberg. But an antihistamine gel counteracts the itching, and it may also contain some anti-inflammatory cortisone. The gel also cools you down a bit.
What about stitches on the face, when should you see a doctor?
If the sting is near the eye, the venom can spread well at this point due to the loose tissue type. In other words: Here a swelling develops, which can also look more threatening. If parents are unsure, they should definitely take their child to the doctor.
It can get really serious if a wasp has gotten into your mouth and stung you there. “Such a sting can swell extremely and there is a risk that the airways will swell up,” says pediatrician Fegeler. Parents should therefore always take their child to the doctor immediately if a wasp or bee has stung the mouth and throat.
How do I know if my child has an insect venom allergy?
Basically, every reaction to an insect bite has a small allergic component, says Ulrich Fegeler. But there is also a life-threatening insect venom allergy, which is rare. It manifests itself, for example, in difficult breathing or swelling of the face after a sting. In the event of such reactions, parents should immediately call a doctor or an ambulance.
Good to know: “Such an allergy never manifests itself with the first sting,” says Ulrich Fegeler. “The body first has to deal with the poison.” If an allergy is known, children must be provided with the necessary emergency medication.
And how do I best prevent stitches?
Simple measures are: insect nets over the stroller or long-sleeved clothing and not eating anything sweet outside.
Otherwise there is a wide range of so-called repellents on the market. These are insect-deterrent odorants that can be rubbed or sprayed on a child.
Important: It must be renewed regularly – “the more you sweat, the more often,” says Ursula Sellerberg. The product is also washed off when you take a bath or splash around. Parents should also observe the instructions on the package insert and ask the pharmacy about preparations that are suitable for children. And: Small children should not apply the products themselves.