How can I protect my child from tick bites

Ticks are insects that draw blood for food. Most ticks live in shrubs and grassy areas. They climb on to people and animals that brush against the leaves and grasses that they live in. They then bite, attaching themselves to the skin.

Most ticks are harmless, but some may carry germs that can spread to a person through a bite and cause disease. To lower your child’s risk of getting a disease from a tick bite, it is important to:

• Take steps to prevent tick bites.
• Check your child for ticks after outdoor play.
• Watch your child for symptoms of disease, if you suspect a tick bite.

How can I protect my child from tick bites?

In an area where ticks are common, take these steps to help prevent tick bites when your child is outdoors:

• Dress your child in protective clothing. Long sleeves and pants offer the best protection from ticks.
• Dress your child in light-colored clothing so ticks are easy to see.
• Tuck your child’s pant legs into his or her socks.
• Treat your child’s clothing with permethrin. This is a medicated spray that kills insects, including ticks. Do not apply permethrin directly to the skin. Follow instructions on the label.
• Use insect repellent, if your child is older than 2 months. The best insect repellents contain:
  • DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535.
  • Higher amounts of an active ingredient.
• Do not use OLE on children younger than 3 years of age. Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months of age.
  • For more information about what insect repellents to use, use the Environmental Protection Agency online tool at epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you  
• Check your child for ticks at least once a day. Make sure to check the scalp, neck, armpits, waist, groin, and joint areas. These are the spots where ticks most often attach themselves.
• When your child comes indoors, wash your child’s clothes and have your child shower right away. Dry your child’s clothes in a dryer on high heat for at least 60 minutes. This will kill any ticks in your child’s clothes.

What is the proper way to remove a tick?

If you find a tick on your child’s body, remove it as soon as possible. Removing a tick sooner rather than later can prevent germs from passing from the tick to your child. To remove a tick that is crawling on the skin but has not bitten, go outdoors and brush the tick off. To remove a tick that is attached to the skin:

1. Wash your hands.
2. If you have latex gloves, put them on.
3. Use tweezers, curved forceps, or a tick-removal tool to gently grasp the tick as close to your skin and the tick’s head as possible.
4. Gently pull with steady, upward pressure until the tick lets go. When removing the tick:
   1. Take care to keep the tick’s head attached to its body.
   1. Do not twist or jerk the tick. This can make the tick’s head or mouth break off.
   1. Do not squeeze or crush the tick’s body. This could force disease-carrying fluids from the tick into your child’s body.

Do not try to remove a tick with heat, alcohol, petroleum jelly, or fingernail polish. Using these methods can cause the tick to salivate and regurgitate into your child’s bloodstream, increasing your child’s risk of getting a disease.

What should I do after removing a tick?

• Clean the bite area with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or an iodine scrub.
• If an antiseptic cream or ointment is available, apply a small amount to the bite site.
• Wash and disinfect any tools that you used to remove the tick.

How should I dispose of a tick?

• To dispose of a live tick, use one of these methods:
  • Place it in rubbing alcohol.
  • Place it in a sealed bag or container.
  • Wrap it tightly in tape.
  • Flush it down the toilet.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your child has symptoms of a disease after a tick bite. Symptoms of a tick-borne disease can occur from moments after the tick bites to up to 30 days after a tick is removed. Symptoms include:
  • The following signs around the bite area:
    • Warmth.
    • Red rash. The rash is shaped like a target or a “bull’s-eye.”
    • Swelling or pain.
    • Pus or fluid.
  • Swelling or pain in any joint.
  • Inability to move part of the face.
  • Fever.
  • Cold or flu symptoms.
  • Vomiting.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Weight loss.
  • Swollen lymph glands.
  • Trouble breathing.
  • Abdominal pain.
  • Headache.
  • Abnormal sleepiness or tiredness.
  • Muscle or joint aches.
  • Stiff neck.

Get help right away if:

• You are not able to remove a tick.
• A part of a tick breaks off and gets stuck in your child’s skin.
• Your child’s symptoms get worse.

Summary

• Ticks may carry germs that can spread to a person through a bite and cause disease.
• Dress your child in protective clothing and use insect repellent to prevent tick bites. Follow instructions on product labels for safe use.
• If you find a tick on your child’s body, remove it as soon as possible. If the tick is attached, do not try to remove with heat, alcohol, petroleum jelly, or fingernail polish.
• Remove the attached tick using tweezers, curved forceps, or a tick-removal tool. Gently pull with steady, upward pressure until the tick lets go. Do not twist or jerk the tick. Do not squeeze or crush the tick’s body.
• If your child has symptoms after being bitten by a tick, contact a health care provider.