Bug Repellents in Children

Spring and bug season. Repellents are OK but keep it to 10-20% deet or less.  This is found in "Repel, Skeedaddle, and Off Skintastic for kids". You can start using it in infants as young as 6 months old.  Also Permethrin in the 0.5% aerosol form used on clothing (not skin) helps against ticks. Soybean Oil called Bite Blocker also is supposed to be effective and safe for the skin. Others with citronella do not work good are Skin-so-soft, Nutrapel, and Buzz Away. The combinations of sunscreen and repellents are not recommended because the deet degrades the sunscreen and the sunscreen is applied repeatedly and not the deet.

Careful of the small infants. They burn in the shade from indirect light. (Not wind burn.)  You can start using sunscreen at 4 months. 

Keeping them covered with light weight long sleeve and pants is better than chemicals.