You are giving your child a bath and notice several bumps that weren't there earlier that day. They are scattered throughout the legs, but nothing is present on the upper body. She seems to have been scratching them. What could they be? The most common cause of such spots is insect bites. Here is the Dr. Sears guide to taking care or insect bites.
Almost everyone has experienced insect bites, so it is no mystery what they look like. The main issue with insect bites is to treat the itching and to prevent infection.
THREE MAIN TYPES OF INSECT BITES
Spider bites - these are the largest type of bite, often creating a large, raised, circular area with a visible pinpoint bite mark in the middle. They can grow in size and redness for several days, and tend to be quite painful. They can number from just one to 5 or 10, often in a straight line or confined to one body area. Spiders often travel across a body part at night, snacking along the way. The initial bite is often painful, but not always.
Flea bites - these usually occur in greater numbers than spider bites, and mostly occur on the legs (and the diaper area for crawling and sitting infants). They often are not painful at the time of the bite, and usually become increasingly itchy. Different people will react to flea bites to varying degrees. Some people are very sensitive to flea bites. Common places to get flea bites include houses with pets, beaches (sand fleas) and parks.
Mosquito bites - these usually occur in exposed areas such as hands and forearms, ankles, and neck. They are usually quite obvious, and you often will know that you and your child were outside in a mosquito environment.
