3855 Trueman Court | Hilliard, Ohio | 43026
Hilliard Pediatrics, Inc. - Dr. Tim Teller, MD
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are making a comeback in the last few years. They are small, flat insects that feed on the blood of sleeping people and animals. Although we know there is a major “ick” factor with bed bugs, they are not known to spread disease. The following is information to help inform you about what to do if your child has bed bug bites.
Bed bugs are 3/16 to 1/5 of an inch long, are reddish-brown in color, and can live for 4-18 months. They have no wings. An adult can crawl as far as 100 feet in one night, but they tend to live within 8-10 feet of where people sleep. Because of their shape, they can hide in cracks and crevices. They hide during the day in seams of mattresses, box springs, bed frames, dressers, and under or along the walls. Bed bugs travel from one place to another on luggage, bags, clothes, and bedding.
When bed bugs bite, they inject an anesthetic (so you do not feel the bite) and an anticoagulant (so you bleed more readily). They can live for as long as 4-12 months without feeding. Female bed bugs lay multiple eggs each day. It takes a few weeks for the eggs to mature into an adult (faster when it is warmer and the eggs have ready access to food).
Most people do not know they have been bitten until the marks appear. The bites are a raised, red, swollen area. Unlike flea bites, they are less likely to have a while center. The bites tend to be on the exposed areas while you sleep: neck, arms, and legs. But the bugs can easily bite you in other areas – including under clothes. Just as with mosquito bites, people react differently to bed bug bites. You or your child may have been bitten and you do not realize it since you may have no reaction – and no bite marks. But many people are quite itchy for days after bites. The bites often are in rows of three or more. Bites generally appear quickly but can take up to 14 days to appear.
If you are repeatedly bitten over night, you could have itchy bites that go on for weeks (or longer). Sometimes the bites will become infected from scratching open the skin and bacteria entering under the skin.
Bed bugs can be spotted in the mattress and sheets. You may find rusty-colored blood streaks (their fecal material) on the bedding. Sometimes the bed bugs exoskeleton is spotted after they molt. When there is a heavy infestation, the area can have a sweet, musty odor from the bugs’ scent glands.
The bites are treated like other itchy insect bites. If the bites are not itchy, they will resolve without treatment. If they are a little itchy, try one of the over-the-counter creams or gels below to help control the itchiness:
If the itchiness is not responding to the medicine that you put on the bites, the next step would be to have your child take Benadryl® (diphenhydramine) by mouth. This antihistamine is more likely to work for the itching, but may make your child tired (drowsy).
A few children will not respond to the over-the-counter medication and will benefit from an office visit to further evaluate and decide if prescription strength creams or medicine by mouth are needed.
If any of the bites are scratched and are open and sore, apply Triple Antibiotic® or Neosporin® ointment 3 times a day to the area to better allow the areas to heal.