Flea Bites on Babies – Are Fleas Biting Your Baby?

Pets are great fun but their fleas are certainly not, more so when you start to notice flea bites on babies. First signs of these and parents are bound to get worried. It is important to identify flea bites on babies early on in order to take the right action. If you ignore the problem, the consequences can be severe and your baby may experience unnecessary pain and suffering.

I will show you ways to avoid this by learning how to identify, treat and prevent flea bites on babies. Have a look at my guide below to get rid of those flea bites.

Are fleas biting your baby?

Let us start by identifying the symptoms of flea bites:

1. Flea bites typically appear as red, angry or swollen welts on the skin.
2. On closer inspection, you will notice a miniscule hole at the point where the flea has drawn out blood. There also may be a red halo surrounding this spot. In children and babies, these marks can measure up to 2cm in diameter and a fluid filled blister may also be present.
3. Fleas normally bite the parts that are most accessible to them: these include arms, legs and feet. However, if fleas are biting you or your baby in bed at night time, the welts may appear on other parts of the body including face, back, neck or shoulders etc.

Flea bites itch a lot. Scratching makes the matter worse and may lead to skin infections. Hence, it is even more important to treat flea bites on babies as soon as possible.

Prevention is the best cure

Let us discuss a few important preventive measures which you can take to avoid flea bites on babies:

• It is important to avoid fleas on your pets to prevent flea bites on babies. Flea collars, anti-flea sprays are some effective methods. However, most parents are worried that these may be toxic to the pet as well as the children. Hence, it is important to talk to the vet regarding anti-flea pills or injections that can help prevent flea infestations on the pet. Also regularly bathe the pet using effective anti-flea shampoos.
• A second measure you can take to avoid flea bites on babies is to prevent the pets from getting in the child’s beds. If required, install baby gates to prevent the pets from getting in the baby’s room. Change and wash bed sheets in hot water as often as possible.
• Vacuum all fabric covered surfaces by treating them with Boric acid powder first. This will get rid of flea eggs as well.
• For extreme cases, it is essential to utilize professional flea extermination services to completely get rid of fleas and flea eggs.

First aid for flea bites on babies

Let us now discuss a few methods of first aid for the flea bites on babies.

1. If the baby is in pain and crying or scratching the site of the bite, make sure you apply soothing Calamine or Aloe Vera lotion to help relieve the pain and itch.
2. Over the counter (less than 1%) hydrocortisone cream is also an effective home remedy for relieving flea bites on babies.
3. Apply pressure to the bite using cotton wool soaked in baking soda solution. This helps reduce pain and inflammation. If need be, give some pain/fever reducing medicine to the baby.
4. Hot or cold compresses using ice also help relieve pain from flea bites on babies.
5. Certain oils diluted using carrier oils (sweet almond oil, coconut oil etc) or baby lotion can also be applied on the bite site to prevent bacterial infections and soothe inflammation.

Some more tips for relief from flea bites on babies

• Insect repellent sprays and lotions can be used on the baby’s clothing and on the skin. Consult with your doctor first.
• Repellants used on clothes contain ingredient called permethrin. This is effective in repelling insects, ticks and fleas. These may be applied to the baby’s clothing, bed sheets, mattresses, sleeping bags, shoes, hats etc.
• Parents must avoid using insect repellants near mouth, eyes or on the baby’s hands incase s/he sucks the thumbs or fingers.
• One must see a doctor immediately if the itching or pain is not relieved after these first-aid treatment.

Flea bites on babies can be a nuisance and if you suspect that fleas are biting your baby, you must take prompt action for their prevention and elimination.