Insect Repellents for Children

Parents often ask which insect repellent they could use for their children. It is important to have some idea of what to recommend.

Deet- N1N-diethyl-m-toluamide

  1. Deet is a safe and effective insect repellent when used in concentrations of  30% and less applied properly
  2. Effective against mosquitoes, biting flies, fleas, gnats, chiggers, and ticks. Does not protect against stinging insects
  3. Concentrations greater than 30%, too frequent applications, and oral ingestion are associated with toxicity including encephalopathy and seizures.
  4. Should be applied to exposed skin or clothing, NOT under clothing.  The effectiveness will be decreased when the child sweats or gets wet. The parents should avoid applying to open abrasion, around the mouth and eyes, and on the hands that children may place hands in their mouths. 
  5. Brand Names include Off, Repel, and Skeedaddle Insect Spray
  6. Products available that combine sunblock with Deet should not be used because sunblock will need repeated applications and Deet should be applied once/day.
  7. Not recommended for infants less than two month of age. 
  8. As the concentration of Deet increases, the duration of activity increases.  This peaks at about 30%.  Select the concentration that coincides with the amount of time to be spent outdoors. If child will e outside for 1-2 hours, 10% concentration should suffice. Protection with 30% concentration is ~4-5 hours
  9. Wash treated skin after coming indoors as well as treated clothing.
 
Picaridin
      1. New effective insect repellent
      2. Comparable effectiveness to DEET
      3. Odorless, not greasy, and less skin irritation
      4. Protection for 1-2 hours
      5. Product- Cutters Advance
      6. No reported toxicity


Citronella
  1. Natural insect repellent
  2. Length of protection is less than deet and must be applied more frequently
  3. There are candles and incense available that can decrease the number of mosquitoes in the environment
  4. Buzz Away, Natrapel
Soybean Oil
  1. Some studies have demonstrated greater protection than deet vs. mosquitoes.
  2. Bite Blocker
Permethrin
  1. Has not been approved for application to the skin for insect repellent use. May be applied to clothing to protect against ticks.
General Recommendations
  1. should be EPA approved
  2. Read label carefully and follow directions 
  3. Wash off product when come indoors
  4. Do not spray directly on face.  Spray on hands and then apply to the face.
  5. Never apply directly to breaks in the skin.
  6. Adults should be responsible for applying.
  7. National Pesticide Network 800 858-7378
Reference
  1. Hebert, Adelaide, and Carlton, Soni.Getting bugs to bug off: A review of insect repellents.Contemporary Pediatrics June 1998
  2. Brown M. Insect Repellents: an overview.  J. Amer Acad Dermatology.  1997; 36: 243-49
  3. Bug Off! How to repel biting insects.  Consumer Reports. 1993; 451-454.
  4. American Academy of Pediatrics Follow safety precaustions when using DEET on children 
  5. Fradin M. Day J. Comparative Efficacy of Insect Repellents Against Mosquito Bites. NEJM:347 July 4, 2002