Protection from tick bites and knowing the right repellents to use on children

Renewed concern about how summer time in the great outdoors poses major danger.

The family of an Indiana girl is trying to get the word out after she died from a fever that wouldn't break.

Doctors diagnosed with a bacterial infection called Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. 

The suspected culprit is a tick bite.

Dr. Kevin Dahlman, Director of Children's Health at Aurora Health Care will be a special live guest TODAY on the CBS 58 News at 4.

We know that ticks can carry many diseases, but we hear the most about Lyme disease. We want parents and children to enjoy the outdoors, but there are a few things you should do to best avoid ticks and the diseases they carry:

·When out hiking, stay on the trails and avoid tall grasses and bushes

·Wear long pants and tuck pants into socks

·Pull back long hair into a ponytail or wear a hat

·Use an insect repellent with 20 percent DEET

·Inspect your children for ticks every day, especially behind the ears, in the groin area, behind the knees and under the arms

If you find a tick on your child, what should you do?

If you notice a tick on your child, remove it immediately. Grasp it with tweezers, as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out. Wash the area with soap and water. Watch your child for signs of illness in the days and weeks following the bite - this can include a bullseye rash and a fever.

What about mosquitos?

Again you want to use a repellent with DEET, but not higher than 30 percent. Do not use DEET repellents on infants below 2 months old. When the mosquitos come out at dusk, that’s a good time to take the kids indoors, to avoid getting bitten, and encourage them to wear pants and long sleeves, unless it’s really hot.

Can children get sick from mosquito bites?

Some kids can have allergic reactions to mosquito bites, but mostly, they’re just an irritation for kids. Discourage your child from scratching the bite and you can help reduce swelling by applying ice to a particularly bad bite, or some calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream to stop the itching.

The plants are blooming and that means there are probably bees, wasps and other stinging insects in your yard. What do you do if your child gets stung?

·A bee will usually leave behind a stinger attached to a venom sac. Try to remove it as quickly as possible using a scraping motion, without pinching the venom sac at the end. (Wasps don't leave their stingers in the skin after stinging, which means they can sting more than once.)

·Wash the area carefully with soap and water. Do this two to three times a day until the skin is healed.

·Apply an ice pack wrapped in a cloth or a cold, wet washcloth for a few minutes.

·Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain.

·For pain and itching, give an over-the-counter oral antihistamine if your child's health care provider says it's OK.

·You could also apply a corticosteroid cream or calamine lotion to the sting area.

·A sting anywhere in the mouth needs immediate medical attention because this can quickly cause severe swelling that may block airways.

·Get medical care if you notice a large skin rash or swelling around the sting site, or if swelling or pain lasts for more than 3 days, which could be signs of an infection.

How would you know if your child is allergic to bees?

Unfortunately, we don’t know if someone is allergic to bees until they’ve been stung. Here are some signs that may indicate a serious or potentially life-threatening allergic reaction

·wheezing or trouble breathing

·tightness in throat or chest

·swelling of the lips, tongue, or face

·dizziness or fainting

·nausea or vomiting

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