Young children explore the world through touch. Kids with interest pick up bees, bugs, and hornets. Children do not realize how painful and unsafe their bites are. Wounds from insect stings are almost impossible to avoid in the summer. This can be a traumatic experience for toddlers.
Bee stings are especially painful for babies. The child feels a strong burning pain and redness appears on the skin. Such wounds are extremely unpleasant for the child. Parents first of all need to treat the skin and calm the baby.
A bee sting in most cases does not pose a threat to the health of the crumbs: it only causes fear and discomfort on the skin. However, a small percentage of people suffer from severe allergic reactions to bee stings. It is necessary to immediately consult a doctor if the child has an increase in body temperature and rapid breathing.
What Does Bee Sting Looks like?
An insect bite cannot go unnoticed by a child and his parents. A bee sting is compared with an injection in terms of the level of painful reaction for the baby. The baby will begin to cry loudly and scratch the damaged area of the skin.
The place where the insect has stung quickly turns red and a small tubercle forms. There may be swelling that remains pronounced for 48 hours. A red spot remains at the site of the injury for some time.
The reaction to a bite in some cases may be stronger. Urticaria forms on the skin. A small percentage of people have difficulty breathing, a fast or weak pulse, and may experience vomiting or diarrhea. Such symptoms indicate the presence of an allergic reaction to an insect bite.
How Dangerous are Bee Stings for Toddlers?
The bite of one insect does not pose a danger to health and life, provided that the baby is not allergic to bee venom. More threat comes from stings of three or more bees.
The location of the poison also matters. The risk to the health of the child is less if the insect stings in the limbs or torso. The development of laryngeal edema is possible with a bite in the neck and it will be difficult for the baby to breathe. More dangerous is the ingress of bee venom into the head and the inside of the oral cavity. The consequence of a bee sting can carry a different degree of danger to babies.
Local reaction on the skin
This is the most common result of a bee sting. The skin becomes red near the wound. There is a swelling that hurts when pressed. The skin itches for several hours after being bitten. There is a risk of infection in the wound if the child scratches it.
Localized Urticaria
A larger area of skin around the bee sting becomes covered with a rash. The bite site visually resembles a nettle burn. The child feels burning and itching. Babies try to scratch their skin. The rash in some cases manifests itself in the form of blisters that can be of different sizes.
Quincke’s edema
This is an acute allergic manifestation of bee venom. Signs of Quincke’s edema are extensive swelling of the skin and subcutaneous tissues at the site of ingestion of bee venom. The threat to babies is swelling of the mucous membranes (lips, cheeks) and larynx. This is a life-threatening condition that constricts the upper airways. There is a risk of choking.
Mild allergic reactions
These include dizziness, headaches, and heart palpitations. Sometimes children have a fever. You can often observe shortness of breath and cough. The child may experience nausea, which will be accompanied by vomiting. You should take the child to the doctor with such a reaction to a bee sting.
Anaphylactic shock
This is the most dangerous reaction to a bee sting and can lead to the death of a child. Anaphylactic shock occurs as a result of an immune response to insect venom. The condition of the baby deteriorates sharply in just a few minutes. A rash forms all over the body, the pulse quickens, and cold sweat appears. The most dangerous thing in the state is the cessation of the cardiovascular system.
Find Out if Your Child is Allergic to Bee Stings
It is impossible to know if a baby has a reaction to insect venom until the first bee sting or a special test. A baby is more likely to be allergic to bee stings if he is allergic to bee products (honey, pollen). We can talk about the presence of irritability to bee stings with the appearance of urticaria on the skin and deterioration of health.
Parents should contact an allergist. The doctor will be able to determine if the baby is having an allergic reaction based on the symptoms. The doctor may order testing. The child will need to take a blood test and undergo skin tests to determine allergies to insect bites.
How to Treat Be Sting?
A painful bee sting will provoke the baby to cry. The baby can be very scared. Parents need to remain calm and comfort the baby. The child can be sure of his safety if the mother acts calmly. Adults need to monitor the physical changes of the baby.
You should find the sting and remove it with tweezers or a sterile needle. It is important to rinse the wound with plain water as soon as possible and then disinfect it. So the poison will be difficult to spread through the soft tissues. You can reduce pain by performing a set of procedures:
Make sure that the child does not scratch the wound –Â If the skin is covered with urticaria, it will itch. It is necessary to explain to the baby that he should not touch the affected area of \u200b\u200bthe skin: this way it will hurt and itch even more.
Prevent dirt from coming into contact with the skin –Â Small children may touch the bite site with unwashed hands. Adults sometimes wash the wound with water from the nearest body of water in a stressful situations. It may contain pathogens and bacteria.
Use ice to relieve swelling –Â Wrap a piece of ice in a cloth and apply it to the bite site to reduce swelling on the skin. A compress can be made from improvised means: cans of cold water and a piece of cloth if the incident happened outside.
Apply ointment to a clean area of the skin –Â Affected areas of the skin recover faster thanks to the use of ointments that contain soothing ingredients. Antiallergic agents for external use can reduce redness, itching, swelling.
Carry a syringe with adrenaline in the first-aid kit –Â This rule applies to parents whose children have confirmed an acute allergic reaction to bee venom. Only a pediatrician can prescribe the use of a syringe with the drug.
Seek immediate medical attention if your child has a severe allergic reaction –Â You should immediately consult a doctor if the child has been stung by three or more bees. An ambulance should be called in case of anaphylactic shock. Such cases can end in death without timely professional help.
What not to do with bee stings?
Parents often make mistakes due to inexperience with the bites of dangerous insects that can harm their babies. The worst move is to ignore the bee sting. Some adults refer to the commonness of such an injury and hope that it will go away on its own.
A bite in most cases does not carry health risks, but the possibility of infection and allergies should not be missed. Do not apply warm compresses to wounds. They relieve pain, but the poison spreads faster through the child’s body due to heat.
Antihistamines are used against allergic reactions to bee stings. They help to relieve unpleasant symptoms. Medicines should not be given to young children on the recommendation of friends or the basis of advertising. They must be prescribed by a pediatrician.
Ways to protect babies from bee stings
Most insect bites occur outdoors. It is necessary from an early age to teach the child the rules of behavior in nature to protect him from bites.
Small furry bugs are of interest to kids. It should be explained to children from the age of two that it is dangerous to pick up insects. You cannot run away from the bees, beat them, or wave your arms near the accumulation of insects. It is recommended to dress children in light-colored clothes for a walk. Follow these simple guidelines to keep your little ones safe.
Do not use soaps and perfumes with floral scents –Â Artificial fragrances found in perfumes, deodorants, and soaps attract insects. Several bees can sit on a child at once.
Make sure your child is wearing shoes –Â Children often run barefoot during outdoor recreation. A baby can step on a bee and get a bite. An infection gets into the wound on the foot faster.
Dress your child in as close clothing as possible –Â It is worth choosing clothes from simple natural fabrics with long sleeves and trousers. Thus, it will be possible to protect the baby from insect bites.
Cover food and drinks when you are outside –Â Insects can crawl into soda cans and bags of sweets. Bee stings on the tongue or the inside of the cheek carry an increased risk to the health of the child. Open drinks should be checked before offering them to babies.
It is worth limiting the time spent in flowering gardens or lawns with flowers in the summer while walking with young children. It is recommended to use special sprays that repel insects to protect yourself and the kids.
