Insect/Mosquito repellant for travel in Asia

[rkvm]

We're leaving for Asia (Singapore & India in 2 weeks and am still not sure about which repellent to use for my 1yr old DD. Don't want to use DEET if there's any way out especially after reading http://www.dukehealth.org/HealthLibrary/News/5500 but CDC says DEET is most effective http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh2-InsectsArthropods.aspx. I will giving DD anti malaria pills and we will be taking them too but I feel we should use a repellent as well.I'm sooo confused right now, it's driving me crazy. I read some other posts on this, but still can't decide what to do. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much for your time!!!!

[mommymy]

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=293360&highlight=mosquito

go to this thread. I had posted a similar question on this some months back and this thread helped a lot.

We went to Singapore this past summer and we ended up using a product from rei that was deet free. We also brought along a deet product that was for the "family" so had less deet in it and we did use it even on my one year old. I was just afraid of DD getting bit and am glad that I used it sparingly. My nephew who didn't use it got bites all over his face and body when we went to a local resort. Another option is once you get to S'pore if you go to any pharmacy they sell a patch that you apply to the clothes that contains some repellant on it that is deet free and that is a great option for the kiddos too. It stinks though..just to warn you. Ask any of the pharmacists at the counter when you get there and they will know what you are talking about. It was like 8 sg dollars for 8 patches.
Whereever you are staying, even if it has a/c I would recommend spraying the stuff in your room. I personally got a lot of bites more so inside than outside and we always had a/c where we stayed. I also had read somewhere that if you rub bounce sheets on your clothes that repels mosquitos but don't know if there is much truth to it. We did bring along our bounce sheets and rub it on the kids clothes but who knows if it helped. For what it's worth they did not get any bites whereas I got eaten alive as did my husband! And of course, if you can , put them in thin long sleeves to protect them from the bugs, esp at night for sleeping. You can get thin long sleeve cotton shirt/pant PJ's for real cheap once you are there at the wet markets or the dept stores if you can't find any here.
Have a great trip and eat lots of good food!

[citymama]

Sorry to say, but the gentle stuff like California Baby does*not* work on South Asian skeeters. Our 10 month old baby got many many mosquito bites one year in India - in Jan., in the dry winter season, no less. I would recommend the Indian brand "Odomos" which can be bought locally - there is an Odomos for Baby (or maybe Kids) which we switched to and it worked much better. It contains a small amount of DEET, but when you work out the trade-offs, I chose some DEET exposure over something nastier.

Our ped. said no anti-malaria meds. for DD at that age. We will be going to Asia this winter and don't plan to use prophylactic medication, but will slather on the Odomos. Get it as soon as you arrive in India!

Good luck!

[dhano923]

I haven't taken the kids to India, but they have gone to Singapore and Malaysia a couple times to visit family, the most recent trip being about 4 months ago. Johnson and Johnson sells Baby mosquito repellent there, and it's great. It's DEET free and really works. It's a small green-blue bottle and will probably run you about $8SGD. You can get it most shops -- I bought it from Guardian pharmacy (they are everywhere) and also Mustafa Center. I always bring a couple bottles back home with me too to tide me over until my mom goes to visit and can bring me more.

You can also buy electrci mosquito repellents for your room. They are about $5-6SGD and the refills are just a couple bucks. Plug them in and they keep the mosquitos away. I don't stay at hotels when I go, but there are always mosquitos in my relative's landed houses and flats because they keep the windows and doors open there (no screens). I always get bit everytime I go so a good mosquito repellent at night is a must for me. I also rub the J&J repellent on my arms and legs before bed too.

We don't do anti-malaria treatments for the kids or for ourselves when we go, but DH and I did take the pills when we went to India several years ago and they made me sick to my stomach every time I took them.

[MamaMolly]

just as an aside, Malaria carrying mosquitos come out at dusk and stay at or near ground (kid) level. Covering your ankles and legs is important. Dengue fever carrying mosquitos come out at dawn and fly higher, at adult arm level.

I dunno. I think I'd do DEET here or get a brand there that is rated safe for kids...And drink lemongrass tea. Supposedly your skin will be less yummy because your sweat will have a component from the lemongrass tea.

[rkvm]

Thanks so much ladies, really appreciate all the info. I'm not very happy about giving DD the malaria pills but figured it's probably a trade off, but now reading your posts I'm wondering if we can skip them and try your suggestions. I'm thinking of going to REI and getting the herbal family and trying OTC from a Singapore pharmacy and also getting the plug-in mosquito repellent.

[MamaMolly]

FWIW one of the moms I know who have made this decision (malarial meds or not) have said that she wanted to wait until her DC was older so that could tell her if he was reacting badly to the meds before she gave them to him. Other moms see the benefit outweighing the risk. Not to muddy the water, but maybe seeing how others worked it out might help with your thinking through it.

[bubbaray]

This is what the "official" word is here (BC, Canada) on malaria meds and DEET for young children (scroll down for malaria):

http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile41d.stm

[bubbaray]

http://www.bchealthguide.org/kbase/list/msindex/search.asp

Has some info on the different anti-malaria drugs and if you read through the various ones, it says some can not be given to children.

HTH

[bubbaray]

Here's more:

http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile41f.stm

Pregnant Women and Infants

Pregnant women and infants should not take certain anti-malaria medications; therefore pregnant women and infants should avoid travel to areas where anti-malaria medications are required. The effects of malaria are more severe among pregnant women, developing babies, and children. A pregnant woman and her baby with malaria are at higher risk of dying from the disease.
If travel cannot be avoided, pregnant women and parents with infants should visit their doctor, or a travel clinic to find out if there is a safe medication. They should also be extra careful to avoid mosquito bites.


OK, I'll stop now.

[citymama]

BTW, I would also highly recommend getting a mosquito net - absolute must-have! Graco sells one that goes over the pack-n-play perfectly - we took our PnP and the net and it worked fabulously. In fact, DD got bitten by skeeters when we were in wintry cold Delhi where everyone insisted there were no mosquitoes, and so we had her in bed with us to stay warm rather than in her PnP. Also, like one of the OPs said, long sleeves and pants in the evenings - get your DD some lightweight cotton LS tees and leggings (as opposed to bootcut or loose pants) or even lightweight 2-piece PJs (the Gap kind are great) to wear in the evenings to ensure max. coverage.

[Neatfreak]

Johnson and Johnson sells Baby mosquito repellent there, and it's great. It's DEET free and really works.

Thanks for recommending that product - I've seen it on the shelves in Bangkok and I'll gladly give it a try on my kids (and probably me). Mosquito season is coming soon ...

[dhano923]

Thanks for recommending that product - I've seen it on the shelves in Bangkok and I'll gladly give it a try on my kids (and probably me). Mosquito season is coming soon ...

It really is good stuff. I live in So. CA and they don't carry it here in the US! I emailed J&J about it and they said it's just not part of the US product line. So I just bring bottles back when I go, or when DH is there for work or when my mom goes. By the time my last bottle is running out, it's usually time for someone to go to Singapore for something! LOL Plus it smells nice and feels nice -- you don't get all sticky like you do with other repellents.