7 safe repellents for pregnant women and children

Most industrial repellents approved by ANVISA can be used by pregnant women and children, generally from 2 years of age. However, it is important to pay attention to the concentrations of the components, and you should always choose the lowest ones.

The use of repellents is important to protect against mosquito bites, especially Aedes Aegypti, which can transmit diseases such as dengue, zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. Some natural repellents can also be used for this purpose and are usually safer than industrial ones, however, they generally have less lasting and proven effectiveness.

It is important to always use repellents according to the instructions on the packaging and, if in doubt, consult a pediatrician or obstetrician for better guidance and instructions.

Safe industrial repellents

Industrial repellents that are safe for pregnant women and children are those that contain DEET, Icaridin or IR3535 in their composition, and should only be used if they are registered with ANVISA, following the doctor’s advice and the instructions on the product label.

1. DEET

Repellents with DEET can be used from 2 months of age in some countries, but are recommended for children over 2 years of age by ANVISA, and should not have a concentration greater than 10% DEET. At this concentration, the repellent has an action time of around 4 hours.

Furthermore, pregnant women can also use this substance suddenly, at the lowest possible concentration, normally from the second trimester of pregnancy.

Some examples of repellents with DEET are Autan, OFF and Super Repelex and before using them, you must pay attention to the instructions mentioned on the label.

2. Icaridina

Repellents with Icaridin can also be used on pregnant women and children over 2 years of age and are generally available in a 25% concentration. An advantage of these products is that they have a prolonged action time, up to around 10 hours, in the case of repellents with a 25% concentration of Icaridin.

An example of a repellent with this substance in concentration is Exposis, which is available in gel and spray form.

3. IR3535

Repellents with IR3535 are the safest on the market for pregnant women and children and can even be used from 6 months of age. The disadvantage is that they have a short action time of around 4 hours.

An example of a repellent with IR3535 is Johnson & Johnson’s anti-mosquito lotion or Isdin’s Xtream spray.

Safe natural repellents

There are some natural repellents that can be used by pregnant women and children, such as:

1. Soybean oil: at a concentration of 2% it managed to inhibit Aedes bites for up to 1 and a half hours;
2. Clove repellent: It can be prepared using grain alcohol, cloves and a vegetable oil such as almond oil, for example, protecting the skin for 3 hours. See how you can prepare this recipe.
3. Lemon Eucalyptus Oil: This oil has a similar effectiveness to those repellents that contain DEET and when products with a concentration of 30% are used, its protection can last up to 6 hours. It is the most recommended of the natural oils, however, some products with lemon eucalyptus oil should be avoided in children under 3 years of age.
4. Citronella Oil: This oil generally lasts around 2 hours, requiring several applications during the day.

Furthermore, lavender essential oil can also be used as a natural repellent in babies from 2 months of age and can be added to a moisturizer, however, it should be avoided by pregnant women.

Before applying any oil like these to your skin, it is important to mix it with a vegetable oil to dilute it and thus avoid skin irritation.

How to apply repellent

When using repellents, they can be applied to exposed skin or clothing, and should be the last product to be applied to the skin, after sunscreens, moisturizers or makeup, for example, and should be applied in sufficient quantity and well spread.

Furthermore, it is important not to apply repellents to the eyes, nose, mouth, wounds or irritated skin and avoid using them under clothing. It is also recommended that spray repellents not be inhaled during application and not applied directly to the face, applying the repellent to the hands to spread it later.

Why use repellent?

The use of repellents is an alternative for pregnant women and children to protect themselves against bites from mosquitoes such as Aedes Aegypti, which can transmit diseases such as dengue, zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

In the case of pregnant women, they must pay extra attention to the Zika virus, as when infected, their babies run the risk of being born with microcephaly, a congenital deformity where the baby’s head and brain are smaller than normal for the baby. your age, which influences your mental development. Understand better what microcephaly is, its symptoms and causes.

Furthermore, pregnant women between the first and fourth month of pregnancy are at greater risk of their babies having this disease, as it is during this period that the baby’s nervous system is being formed, so if you suspect that you have dengue, zika or chikungunya, you should go to a hospital as soon as possible.