Protecting your baby from insect bites
To protect children under age 2 from insect bites, you can:
- Put a mosquito net over your child’s stroller
- Dress your child in light- or khaki-coloured clothing made of a tight-knit fabric that is closed at the neck, wrists, ankles, and waist
- Have your child wear a hat or cap and cover their neck
- Keep your child indoors when mosquitoes are most active (e.g., sunrise and sunset)
- Use insect repellent if necessary
Insect repellent
Under 6 months – Do not use insect repellent
6 months to 2 years – Do not use products containing more than 10% DEET or 20% icaridin. These products protect against mosquito and tick bites.
Apply only a small amount once daily to exposed parts of the body. Do not apply to the face or hands. The product can be applied to your child’s hat or cap.
When protection is no longer needed, wash skin that was in contact with the repellent with soap and water. Take the opportunity to check your child’s body for ticks. Put clothes in the dryer for at least 10 minutes before washing to remove ticks (see Treating insect bites).
Good to know...
The duration of protection of an insect repellent varies from 90 minutes to 10 hours, depending on the ingredient and its concentration.
Avoid using combination insect repellent/sunscreen products, as sunscreen should be applied more generously and more often than the insect repellent.
Apply sunscreen first. Wait 30 minutes to let it absorb, then apply the insect repellent. This will limit absorption of the repellent into the skin.
Citronella and lavender oil-based repellents and citronella‑scented, eucalyptus-based products are not recommended for children under 2 years of age, as the duration of protection is very short.
For information on first aid for insect bites, see Treating insect bites.