which is the greater threat: the mosquito or the DEET?

[BWVDenise]

I get nervous when I read the lables on the mosquito repellents! Is something that reads: DANGER TO HUMANS something I want to put on my kids? I have to wonder if they'll ever come up with a better alternative to the DEET products. Which do you think is worse, the threat of West Nile, or what the chemicals in the bug repellants may do?
Just curious to know how others feel.

 

[piglet too]

Well, I only buy "kid-friendly" repelent. My middle son is highly sensitive to bites, swells up and then scabs over, you would think he had been burned by the way they look when healing. I refuse to let them out without some sort of repelent on, if it has to be the high DEET stuff, then so be it, they just get a super good bath as soon as we get in. I personally would be more concerned with the threat of West Nile, then any effects from DEET.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Same situation here...

ITA with piglet!

 

[betz]

See, the man in the middle, he is scratching. The ones on the left and right are just fine.
You can also eat a lot of garlic. Mosquitos hate the smell. Then again, you may not have much human company either.
edited to add the man on the left is showing how big the mosquitos are in Alaska.

 

[julybride]

Our pediatrician always recommends bug spray containing DEET in amounts less than 10%.

I found this at the American Academy of Pediatrics . It has recommendations for the use of DEET with children.

 

[Pin Wizard]

West Nile is much worse than DEET!!!!

Having had a run-in with a tick last week and I'm now on antibiotics, I'll use anything preventative!!!!

 

[Serena]

I hate those blood suckers. But they love my blood. I have to do anything possible to prevent them from calling their friends for dinner.

 

[BWVDenise]

I guess I wouldn't worry about it quite as much if my kids would keep their hands out of their mouths! As soon as I put it on them, they start touching it and then, inevitably, those fingers go in their mouths (and they are not toddlers)

 

[aprilgail2]

My daughter tends to get cellulitis in the spots where she is bitten by mosquitos and it either lands us a dr visit or if its on the weekend a hospital visit so anything I can use to keep them off her.......last year it was her ankle and her wrist at seperate times....they blow up, turn red and hard...not just the bite area, but the whole arm, leg etc....its a serious thing and can lead to death if not treated...

 

[my3kids]

I only purchase the "Family" named products of insect repellants, which contain a much lower amount of DEET. I agree, the stuff is scary, but not in the small amount of the products directed at children. Those lower concentration preparations have always protected me fine as well.

If a child puts hands in the mouth, just don't spray or rub the hands. If the rest of the body is covered, bugs probably wouldn't get close enough to bite the hands anyway.

 

[BWVDenise]

Originally posted by my3kids
If a child puts hands in the mouth, just don't spray or rub the hands. If the rest of the body is covered, bugs probably wouldn't get close enough to bite the hands anyway.

I don't put it on their hands, they TOUCH and scratch the parts of their bodies that I spray right after I spray it, and that is how it gets on their fingers... and then in their mouths.

 

[Roemama1]

I always have kids wear Deep Woods Off. We have a camp and there are alot of mosquitoes. The only thing that works is with the DEET.

ONe of my good friends had a 7 y.o. son die in 1983 from what was called then EEE (Eastern Equine encephalitis) which is basically the same as the WEst Nile Virus. So we don't take chances here.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

After all the West Nile cases in Colorado last year, I am definitely going for the Deet.

 

[my3kids]

Originally posted by BWVDenise
I don't put it on their hands, they TOUCH and scratch the parts of their bodies that I spray right after I spray it, and that is how it gets on their fingers... and then in their mouths.

Maybe apply the spray while they are finger painting, then when they get up from the craft table to wash hands, they are ready to go outside. Or have them play Mother May I or Freeze as you apply, so you can have them standing with hands in the air until it all dries.

 

[Keli]

Well, this is not any type of scientific answer or anything but to my way of thinking, West Nile is the known threat and DEET is the unknown. I'll protect from what I know to be a threat and just hope that DEET is not one too in the doses I use.