How do I prevent my child from getting a tick bite?

• If out hiking dress in long sleeves and pants to keep the skin covered  
  • Tuck pants into socks  
  • Avoid any skin exposure for ticks to latch on  
• Ticks live in damp, shaded, wooded areas
  • When in these areas:
    • stay on the path.
    • tuck pants into socks.
    • Avoid having any exposed skin.
    • Use insect repellants containing DEET or Picaridin
      • Be sure to read and follow the directions on the repellant.  
      • Be sure to treat pets with insect repellant as well, as directed by a veterinarian.
      • Check skin regularly for ticks while out and upon return.  
        • Be sure to check within skin folds, behind the ears and the scalp.
• Wash and dry the clothing worn outside.
• Be sure to pick up leave piles and keep the grass cut short.
• Be sure to keep outdoor play equipment in dry, sunny areas, far from any wooded areas.
• See the website below for more information on ticks:
  • https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html 

How to remove a tick:

• Steps:

1. Hold tweezers sideways, as close to your child’s skin as possible.
2. Grasp the head of the tick with the tweezers.  
3. Apply pressure until the tick releases, and then pull straight upward.  
   • Avoid twisting or turning.
   • If any parts stay attached, remove as many as possible.
4. Clean the area with rubbing alcohol.  
5. Clean the area and your hands with soap and water.  
6. You can apply an over-the-counter topical antibiotic ointment once. 

• If the tick is too small for tweezers, use a credit card and scrape in the direction of the tick, alongside the skin.  
• The area should heal on its own without any further pain or itch. 

Why is my child reacting to a tick bite?

• Ticks need blood to survive, so humans (your child) can serve as a host for the tick.
• When the tick attaches to the skin, it can numb the area so, it makes it easier for ticks to go un-noticed.
• Ticks that carry a disease (very few do), can then pass it to your child while latched onto the skin.
• A tick will drop off the skin after feeding, so you may not see a tick or find a tick on your child.  

What are the symptoms?

• Some children may have only a few symptoms and others may have many.  
• Each tick can cause different symptoms.  
• The most common symptoms are:
  • Fevers and/or chills, generally feeling unwell (flu-like symptoms).  
  • Headache, body aches, pain in joints.  
  • Fatigue or poor appetite.  
  • Rashes (usually will appear 2 to 4 weeks after the tick bite, but sometimes appear only a few days after).
• Less common symptoms:
  • Paralysis that starts in the lower body and moves to the upper body.
  • Nausea or vomiting.
  • Cough.
  • Confusion. 

How is a tick bite treated?

• If your child was diagnosed with Lyme disease or other tick-borne infection, they will be prescribed antibiotics.
• Tylenol and ibuprofen (for 6 months and up) for help with discomfort
• Allow your child to rest as needed. 

Call your child’s provider if:

• You think your child needs to be seen.
• Your child is having any of the symptoms listed above.
• The bite site looks infected.
• Your child is receiving treatment for a tick bite and is not improving or getting worse.
• You were unable to remove the tick or parts.

This publication was adapted from information within American Academy of Pediatrics Patient Education Handouts, UpToDate Guidelines, Healthychildren.org and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website  

Reviewed by: TT D.O, AR D.O. | 11/2023