Public health officials this week called on Iowans to use repellant containing DEET to avoid mosquito bites which can infect folks with the West Nile virus, but pediatricians say you should not use the chemical on babies’ skin. State epidemiologist Patrician Quinlisk has other suggestions for protecting the young. Quinlisk says if you’re going to take a baby outside, cover them up as much as is possible with clothing or a light blanket. Quinlisk says for toddlers, use a repellant with a low-concentration of DEET. She says to use “a little bit of common sense” and avoid taking babies out at dawn or dusk, when the mosquitoes are most active.
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