Tick Bites in Children

Overview

What's a Tick?

Ticks are part of the arachnid (ah-rak-nid) family, which also includes mites, spiders, and scorpions. A tick attaches itself to the skin of a human or an animal and sucks blood. There are hundreds of kinds of ticks on the planet, and they can be found almost everywhere.

Key Points About Ticks

• Ticks can spread diseases when they bite.
• Ticks are most active in warm months, especially from April through September.
• Kids are most likely to come into contact with ticks while playing outside, hiking, or spending time in grassy or wooded areas.
• Ticks can cause disease if they are not removed from the body promptly. 

Types of Ticks

The two types of ticks that many people talk about are the deer tick and the dog tick.

Deer Ticks

The deer tick is about the same size as the head of a pin, and it is found in many parts of the United States. One of the diseases that deer ticks can carry is Lyme disease, especially in New England, Mid-Atlantic, and parts of the Midwest. (Lyme disease gets its name from the place where it was discovered — Lyme, Connecticut, which is in New England.)

Dog Ticks

Dog ticks are very common and can be up to ½ inch long. If you have a dog, chances are pretty good that you've seen a dog tick on its coat. One disease that this type of tick can carry is called Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Where Are Tick Bites Found on the Body?

Most tick bites happen when a tick attaches to your child while outdoors. Check your child's body carefully after playing outdoors. Ticks are often found in hair, but they like to hide in other places, too, so check your child:

• in and around the ears
• inside the belly button
• behind the knees, between the legs, and on the thighs
• around the waist
• on the back, and on the back of the neck
• under the arms
• around the ankles and between the toes

Signs & Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Tick Bites?

Tick bites usually don’t cause any symptoms. But some ticks carrygerms that cause disease. If your child was bitten by a tick with these germs, the bite can cause irritation and other more serious symptoms if untreated. After the bite, you might see:

• a little redness around the area of the bite
• a red bump ringed by an expanding red rash, which looks like a bull's-eye (Lyme disease)
• red dots on the ankles and wrists (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever)

Your child might also get flu-like symptoms such as:

• fever
• headache
• tiredness
• vomiting
• muscle and joint aches

What Problems Can Tick Bites Cause If Left Untreated?

Untreated tick bites from ticks that are carrying germs can lead to illnesses like Lyme disease — a serious illness that can affect  the heart, brain, nervous system, and joints. Early treatment by your child’s doctor and antibiotic medicine can help bring a full recovery.

When Should I Call the Doctor?

Call the doctor if you are unsure how long the tick has been on your child, or if you see a rash, or your child develops any symptoms.

Doctors don't need to treat most tick bites. Not all ticks carry germs. And not all infected ticks pass the germ to the person they bite. But if a tick is attached for at least 24 to 36 hours, it can spread germs that can cause infections like Lyme disease. Sometimes, doctors give antibiotics to help prevent Lyme disease..

How to Help Your Child

What to Do If You Find a Tick

If you find a tick on your child:

• Call your doctor, who may want you to save the tick in a sealed container or zippered plastic bag so the type can be identified.
• Use tweezers to grab the tick as close as possible to the skin. Then, pull it off in one steady motion. Do not twist or yank it.
• Wash the bite area with soap and water or swab it with alcohol.

Don’t cover the tick with petroleum jelly, fingernail polish, or anything else. These don’t help the tick come out and can even make it harder to remove. They also might make the tick burrow deeper and release more saliva, which can make it more likely to spread disease.

If part of the tick stays in the skin, don’t worry. It will come out eventually. Keep an eye on the bite area for any signs of irritation or infection (such as redness, swelling, pain, or pus).

Check Your Child for 30 Days

Watch for symptoms of Lyme disease for 30 days after a tick bite. These include rash; fever; headache; tiredness; muscle pains; or a swollen, painful joint. This can be treated and cured with a short course of antibiotics.

Call your doctor if:

• Your child has had a tick bite, especially if the tick might have been on the skin for more than 24 hours. Sometimes, doctors prescribe a preventive dose of antibiotics for kids at high risk for Lyme disease.
• Part of the tick remains in the skin.
• A rash of any kind develops (especially a red-ringed bull's-eye rash or red dots on wrists and ankles).
• The bite area looks infected (increasing warmth, swelling, pain, or oozing pus).
• Your child gets symptoms like a fever, headache, tiredness, stiff neck or back, joint swelling, or muscle or joint aches.
• Your child has facial paralysis (can’t move areas of the face).

How Can We Prevent Tick Bites?

The best way to prevent tick bites is to avoid shaded, grassy, wooded areas that are likely to be tick infested. If you do go into an area where ticks live:

• Stay in the middle of the trail, instead of going through high grass or the woods.
• Wear closed shoes or boots, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. Tuck pant legs into shoes or boots to prevent ticks from crawling up legs.
• Use an insect repellent with between 10%-30% DEET in kids older than 2 years. Always follow the label directions for applying.
• Consider treating clothing and gear with permethrin to repel ticks. When used properly, permethrin is safe for all ages. But don't use it on clothing or other material a child may suck on or chew.
• Wear light-colored clothing to help see ticks more easily.
• Showering within two hours of coming indoors can help wash off ticks that haven't attached yet.
• Wash all clothes in hot water and tumble dry on high heat before they’re worn again.