You took your baby or toddler on their first vacation. Maybe you stayed at a hotel or resort. Perhaps you chose a vacation rental to feel more at home.
During your trip or maybe when you got home, you noticed small red dots on your child’s body. If they’re raised and slightly darker in the middle, they could be bedbug bites. These bites are usually in clusters or lines. You’ll rarely see just one or two. They generally appear on exposed parts of the body like the hands, face and neck.
If your child is scratching them – or trying to – that’s another sign that this particular pest has gotten to your child. Bedbug bites are typically – although not always — very itchy.
How do bed bugs get to babies and toddlers?
These tiny bugs have this name for a reason. They hide in mattresses and bedding (although they can be found anywhere) and become active in the middle of the night when most people — certainly young children — are asleep.
If you’re still on vacation when you notice these bites, look at your child’s blankets and bedding. Bed bugs leave rust-color spots. You may think that if you brought your baby’s own bedding on the trip, they’d be less likely to be victimized by bed bugs than you would be sleeping on hotel (or a vacation rental host’s) bedding. However, even though these little pests can’t jump or fly, they can quickly crawl from one surface to another – including your child’s bedding.
How seriously can bed bug bites harm your child?
The good news is that, generally, bed bugs don’t make children sick. However, there’s always a chance that a child can suffer a serious allergic reaction to bed bug bites. It’s always a good idea to have your child checked out by their doctor as soon as you notice the bites to determine just what you’re dealing with.
If your child – or anyone else in your family – has a serious reaction to bed bug bites suffered on vacation, you may need to file a legal claim in order to get the justice and compensation you deserve. Wherever you are in the U.S., contact the attorneys at Bed Bug Law to discuss your options.