Mosquitos have been linked to West Nile virus.
With mosquitoes linked to West Nile virus, and ticks spreading Lyme disease, more people are turning to insect repellents for protection. There are many repellents using different ingredients at different strengths, and knowing which is right for your family can be confusing. Does this Spark an idea?
Two Effective Ingredients
Products containg DEETand picaridin are most effective.
The Centers for Disease Control lists two ingredients it believes have proven most effective in insect repellents. These ingredients, DEET and picaridin, are both approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Child-Safe Repellents
Only DEET products are recommended by the AAP.
Picaridin and DEET are both considered safe for children over two months of age. While the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has not released an opinion or recommendation regarding the use of picaridin on children, it has declared repellents with up to 30 percent DEET to be safe for children and babies over two months. There is no EPA-approved repellent for children under two months of age.
Natural Ingredients
Recent years have seen the development of several insect repellents with only natural ingredients, most of them botanical. These products vary widely in efficacy and safety. For example, oil of lemon eucalyptus-based repellents are registered with the EPA and deemed effective, but their use is restricted, and they are recommended only for people age 3 and up. Other botanical-based repellents, containing primarily soybean oil, are touted as the safest for kids, but they are short-acting and much less effective.
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