Fleas may infest babies if they are unmonitored. Flea bites on babies may manifest as mild rashes to severe allergies, depending on their body’s response. As babies cannot clearly express their problems, pay close attention to their responses to stimuli. Observing your baby for any signs of fleabites is essential to help relieve symptoms and related discomforts at the earliest. Read this post to learn more about what flea bites look like, how to prevent and treat them, and its consequences.
What Are Fleas?
Fleas are tiny parasitic insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. Usually found dwelling on the fur of animals, tall grasses, rugs, and doormats in the house, they are light brown to black and have a high reproduction rate. These are commonly seen during warm weather (1). They can leap 50 times their body weight and get firmly attached to the skin to suck blood (2). Fleas can be killed by pesticide treatment of the house and by treating pets with appropriate pet-friendly medications.
What Do Fleabites Look Like?
Identifying fleabites is essential to decide the treatment and necessary actions to prevent future contact with insects. To look for flea bites, undress the baby from head to toe and check for the marks on the whole body, including scalp. Flea bites can cause the following signs and symptoms.
Inconsolable crying Itching Fever Small bumps with redness Clusters of few bumps or lines of redness (3) Bumps are sore, painful, and itchy Some children may develop blisters, hives, or rash around the fleabites as an allergic reaction (4) The common sites of fleabites are legs, ankles, groins, waist, buttocks, thighs, and lower abdomen (5)
Dr. Rosmy Barrios, a regenerative medicine expert, explains, “When a flea bite gets in contact with some substances, certain reactions begin in the body. One is the active release of histamine, a natural substance that triggers the immune response process. Because of histamine, the flea bites start to redden, swell, and itch.”
Complications Of Flea Infestations In Babies
Fleabites and presence of fleas around the baby may lead to the following consequences and complications.
Scratching the fleabites may lead to fungal and bacterial infections, causing further complications.
Fleas could carry bacteria, which could cause diseases, such as typhus and plague, in humans (6).
Skin problems, such as dermatitis and allergic urticarial, have been reported in many cases of flea bites (7).
Flea-borne typhus fever is a serious illness due to flea bites. It can cause fever, chills, vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, and rashes, lasting for about a week (8).
Infected fleas could indirectly spread cat scratch disease, which spreads in humans through cat bites or scratches (9).
Human cases of plague due to flea bites are rare but, if affected, can be seen as sores and abscesses in the glands of the arms and legs.
Swallowing an infected flea may lead to intestinal tapeworms (10).
Murine Typhus can also be caused by flea bites (10).
Papular urticaria affects children more than adults due to flea bites (11).
Tungiasis can be caused due to burrowing fleas (1).
Treatment For Fleabites In Babies
Wash the area with water and mild soap to avoid allergic reactions on the skin. Also, use any of these ways to relieve the symptoms of fleabites.
Cold compression: Ice or cold water wipes over the fleabites help reduce the soreness, redness, and itching.
Aloe vera gel: It works as an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial product.
Calamine lotion: It helps reduce allergic reactions, soothes the skin, and reduces signs of inflammation and itching.
Over-the-counter ointments: Hydrocortisone creams help reduce skin reactions, allergies, and dermatitis (5). Do consult the child’s pediatrician before using any medicated products for the baby.
Essential oils: Tea tree oil, sweet almond oil, rosemary oil, and coconut oils are known to help reduce itching and inflammation.
Baby lotions: These soothe the skin and reduce itching.
Nail-trimming: Cut the baby’s nails to avoid scratching and further worsening the condition with secondary bacterial or fungal infections (12).
Anti-allergic drugs: Doctors may prescribe antihistamine drugs to reduce the symptoms of flea bites (13).
If the signs of flea bites do not reduce or the baby is having a fever or seems to be dull, consult the doctor for appropriate treatment.
Preventing Flea Bites In Babies
Avoiding any contact with fleas is the best solution for babies. It can be done in the following ways. Dr. Barrios says, “Although fleas often bite the legs and arms, they also really like thin skin. Babies’ skin is extremely thin and vulnerable, which attracts these insects even more.”
