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Home › Articles › Illnesses, Diseases & Disorders › Safely Keeping Bugs Away from Baby

Safely Keeping Bugs Away from Baby

Are Insect Repellents Safe for Babies?

By Shannon McKelden

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More Tips and Precautions
Dr. Chris Ryder, a general pediatrician in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and author of Take Your Pediatrician with You (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007), recommends these precautions when using repellents on young children:

  • Do not put it on infants'/children's hands as these are often put in the mouth.
  • Do not apply around the eyes or mouth.
  • Do not rub in, but apply lightly.
  • Do not let young children apply DEET themselves.
  • Apply only to exposed skin or clothing. (Note: DEET can damage plastics, rayon, spandex, leather and other synthetic products, though it will not damage cotton or wool.)
  • Never use on irritated skin, sunburned skin, cuts or wounds.
  • When using aerosol sprays, do not spray directly onto the face, but spray your hands and then apply the repellent to the face, avoiding the eyes and mouth.
  • Do not spray aerosols or pump products in small, confined spaces.
  • Do not spray DEET around food.
  • Wash the repellent off when no longer needed (such as when coming indoors).
Alternatives to Chemicals
While the above bug repellents are considered generally safe for babies over 2 months of age, when your little one is younger than that, you may want to try something diffeent.


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