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Dr. Catherine Palmier – Best Insect Repellents for Kids Ask the Experts – UHC TV Here’s a question I received from a parent. The question is concerning choice of insect repellents. Do I recommend one kind of insect repellent over another? What are some general guidelines for use of insect repellents? Well, insect repellents are becoming more important as we see more and more transmission of illnesses, through particularly mosquitoes. These include illnesses like encephalitis, which is a viral infection of the brain. What we have to do is balance the effectiveness of a particular chemical that’s being used to repel mosquitoes and other insects versus its safety. This is something that the EPA regulates pretty closely. Most experts recommend that you use something with DEET in it. That’s are particular chemical shown to repel mosquitoes and kill mosquitoes. Things you can remember with children are the following. Number one, it’s not necessary to spray the entire child because you can actually spray their ankles or wrists and get fairly good protection. Also, sometimes with a younger child that might be in a stroller, spraying the top of the stroller and the areas of the stroller may be better than actually spraying the child. You’ll still get the protection, but you wont have it on the child’s skin. Be really careful about the hands because you really don’t want the child ingesting an insecticide. So that’s real important. For very young children, I recommend actually using a mosquito net over a stroller as opposed to considering insect repellent for a very young baby. No matter what you do, hands will end up in the mouth. Also, be aware there are a lot of new products coming out. One is a fan that you can put on the table that will spread the DEET insect repellent. You’ll find that there are innovations in this field all the time. So, be alert, and talk to your pediatrician for some choices you might have for insect repellent usage.

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Best Insect Repellents for Kids

Question: Which insect repellent do you recommend for a child?

Answer from: Dr. Catherine Palmier, M.D., pediatrics expert

When choosing insect repellents for kids, it's important to balance the effectiveness of the chemicals with safety.

kids, Ask the Expert, Healthy Kids

The content of these videos is for information only and is not intended to be medical advice. Refer to your health plan benefit guide for coverage details, and consult with your doctor to determine what is best for you.

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Best Insect Repellents for Kids

Question: Which insect repellent do you recommend for a child?

Answer from: Dr. Catherine Palmier, M.D., pediatrics expert

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