What to do if a child is bitten by a wasp? The first step is not to panic with the baby (as young mothers sometimes do) and remain calm. In the vast majority of cases, the biggest trouble from a wasp sting in a child will be quite pronounced swelling and severe pain.
However, these symptoms are sometimes enough to spoil the whole day on vacation or in the country for both the child and adults. In addition, the Internet, which young parents will first of all turn to, is simply replete with various “terrifying” stories “from life”, which also will not add peace. Of course, the described severe consequences of wasp stings sometimes happen, but this happens so rarely that it simply makes no sense to accept them as a mandatory outcome.
Adults know: if a wasp has bitten a child, severe pain will certainly appear, but in about a day it will almost completely disappear.
Next, we will see what parents need to do in the first place, so that the consequences of a wasp sting in a baby pass as quickly and painlessly as possible. And also note what to do in those rare critical situations when the life of a child can directly depend on the correct actions of parents.
But first things first…
On a note
Wasps are different.The common paper wasps, which are the most common, sting quite painfully, but are no match for the long, very slender, brown or black road wasps - they are considered to have some of the most painful stings in the insect world in general. After the attack of these wasps, even an adult can experience a painful shock, and there’s nothing to say about a child. However, fortunately, road wasps are much rarer than paper wasps, and bite only in exceptional cases.
In fairness, it should be noted that some of the "horrors" on the topic of wasp stings still have a real basis. However, in the vast majority of cases, all this does not happen with children: various complicated allergies, systemic reactions of the body and intoxication are more typical for adults.
The reason for this is rooted in immunology: sensitivity to allergens that are part of wasp venom increases with each new bite. In this regard, the child's body is a “blank sheet of paper”, which simply has not yet had time to accumulate the necessary “experience” for the development of a violent allergic reaction.
As a rule, hypersensitivity to any substance appears in an organism that has already encountered this allergen repeatedly. Simply put, for each subsequent sting, some people (and their minority) react more and more sharply.
The average adult healthy person does not have such a response, since his body is able to produce protective antibodies and quickly neutralize the poison that has entered the bloodstream, and the baby’s immune system is simply not yet familiar with it.
Thus, if a child was bitten by a wasp, then the consequences of this in most cases will be entirely due to the toxins of the poison, and not the development of an allergic reaction. Pain and inflammation, of course, will be - but without allergy symptoms (for example, hives and fever).
Only sometimes, in exceptional cases, a child may begin a systemic reaction to a wasp sting. This is a topic for a separate discussion (we will consider it below), because such situations are already much more dangerous and require the use of potent drugs, and sometimes even hospitalization.
First steps after being bitten
So, if the child has already been stung by a wasp, first of all, you should try to remove or neutralize at least part of the poison that has got under the skin.
For this you need:
- suck poison from the wound - if you start doing this immediately after the bite, you can significantly reduce the degree of edema;
- attach a swab dipped in table vinegar or lemon juice to the bite site (as an option - a piece of apple or onion) - wasp venom has an alkaline environment, therefore it is partially neutralized by acid;
- after 2-3 minutes, apply a cold compress to the bite site.
It is important to understand that it will not work to completely avoid the appearance of pain and swelling, because you are still dealing with a very strong poison. Therefore, after the wasp has bitten the child, all actions should be aimed at reducing the amount of poison in the tissues - firstly, and, secondly, so that unpleasant pain sensations pass as soon as possible.
In addition to first aid measures, you also need to know what not to do with a wasp sting:
- it makes no sense to waste time looking for a sting in the wound: the sting of wasps, unlike bees, never remains in the body of the victim after a bite;
- you can’t panic and fuss: this will make the child even more worried, it’s better to just take pity on the baby and try to explain to him that everything will pass soon;
- it is strictly forbidden to squeeze out the poison: it will not flow back, but it will be necessary to spread faster in the tissues due to increased blood flow when pressed;
- in the absence of obvious symptoms, you should not smear the bite site with any allergy remedies from your first aid kit: side effects from “adult” ointments in a child can be even more severe than the consequences of the bite itself.
It is worth noting that most often the wasp bites the child’s finger or hand, and this, fortunately, is the most “easy” option. It is worse when, for example, the face or, even more so, the neck or throat of the baby is exposed to an insect attack.
In any case - in whatever part of the body the wasp stings your child - you should know what methods will reduce pain, swelling and subsequent itching.
Methods for eliminating pain, itching and swelling
To combat the characteristic effects of wasp stings, there are many good and proven remedies. All of them can be divided into three main groups:
- Special (and necessarily appropriate for the age of the child) preparations after insect bites. Examples include Gardex Family and Gardex Baby baby balms, Mosquitall spray balm, Insectline and Picnic Family balms. For the most part, these remedies only reduce itching. Pain can be relieved by drugs such as Fenistil, Soventol and Menovazin, but their use in a child is possible only strictly in agreement with the doctor.
- Soap solution and ammonia (standard "brilliant green" and iodine can only be used as a last resort).
- Folk remedies: chopped parsley root, dandelion juice or garlic.
It is important to understand that swelling from a wasp sting will be observed in a child in any case: even when the drugs dull or relieve pain. The fact is that edema occurs due to the destruction of cells of tissues affected by poison, therefore, until the body itself “clears” everything, the place where the wasp has bitten will be inflamed.
Wasp stings in the face, throat or ear area are very dangerous: the poison here can cause swelling that threatens to make breathing difficult.
Even if a wasp has bitten a child by the ear in the area of the lobe, adults need to carefully monitor the condition of the baby, and with the slightest doubt, take him to the doctor. In the event that a wasp sting fell on the mucous membranes of the eye, you can’t hesitate - you need to immediately go to the hospital or call an ambulance.
Finally, if the wasp sting occurs in the child's throat, the swelling that develops is more likely to lead to serious breathing problems. It is this cause that accounts for a significant percentage of deaths as a result of insect bites, so the child's condition requires special monitoring and - in case of deterioration - speed of reaction.
Review
“We had this last summer. I don't even know what to advise you. Lesha was then three years old, his wasp bit him on the neck, but only from behind. He did not immediately show us, but endured for a long time. He's basically a Spartan. They themselves noticed that his neck had disappeared somewhere. But apart from a strong edema, there was nothing, he was breathing normally, he was eating. After a couple of days, everything went away, we didn’t even smear anything. ”
Kira, the village of Severskaya
Wasp stings in babies
Of course, any parent is very worried about their child, especially if the baby is only a few months old. However, there is no particular specificity of wasp stings in infants.
The main problem that the parent of a baby bitten by a wasp will definitely have to face is the strong anxiety of the child. If the baby was bitten by a wasp, an adult needs to take the measures described above to neutralize at least part of the poison, reduce swelling and severe pain.
More experienced parents advise at this time to distract the child with something, for example, to bathe him in cool water, in which he will stop focusing on the pain from the bite. However, special preparations are also produced for infants - for example, Gardex Baby, intended for children from one year old, but in the absence of an allergic reaction, which can be used for babies from 6 months old, or Rescuer cream, approved for children of any age.
In addition to these drugs, folk remedies such as garlic, soda and parsley root can be successfully used in a small child.
It is worth noting that in infants, the pain from a wasp sting usually passes faster than in older children, but the “bump” itself, if it appears, persists for a longer period.
Review
“Our one-year-old child was bitten by a wasp. Well, there was a cry, an hour, probably, they could not calm him down. And then immediately let go. Moreover, the wasp bit him on the ear, we were afraid that it would spread to his face, but there wasn’t even a special bump there. So, only the ear stuck out. He could not sleep on this side, woke up. They smeared it with the Rescuer, the grandmother rubbed it with sour cream. I don’t remember exactly how long this swelling lasted, but his bite stopped hurting the very next day. ”
Elena, Krasnoyarsk
First aid kit to the country: what you need to have with you to always help your child
When planning a trip with the baby to nature or just out of town, it is necessary to prepare a first-aid kit in advance, in which you should definitely include a small set of tools for timely assistance to the child with wasp stings or any other insects.
You can roughly focus on the following drugs:
- Rescuer - a universal first aid (including wasp stings);
- gel Fenistil;
- delicate baby spray or Gardex type balm;
- Suprastin - just in case of a "fire" case (along with the drug, you should definitely take the instructions in order to be able to correctly calculate the dose for the child).
After your baby has been bitten by a wasp and you have given him first aid, in any case, the child is worth watching - despite the fact that the danger, it would seem, has passed.
If the wasp sting hit the eye or mouth, if the child's body temperature began to rise, a rash appeared at the site of the bite or on other parts of the body, there was a headache or nausea, the baby should be immediately taken to the hospital.
Before this, it is advisable to call the "Ambulance" and, having described the situation, ask for advice. Perhaps, on the way to the hospital - on the recommendation of a doctor - the child will need to be given Suprastin to drink, but self-treatment in this case is unacceptable.
Be careful on vacation, take care of yourself and your child, and if trouble does occur, behave correctly and keep your composure.
Useful video about the consequences of wasp stings: practical tips
What to do if you are bitten by a wasp...
