"What to do if you find a tick on your child."
May 7, 2014
- To remove a tick, use fine tipped tweezers with steady, even upward pressure. Parents may not be able to tell how long the tick has been attached, but they should note if it is engorged and easy or difficult to remove. If the tick is not engorged and is fairly easy to remove, it is highly likely that the tick has not been attached for enough time (>36 hours) to transmit Lyme disease. Doxycycline is not recommended in that situation.
- A single dose of 200mg of doxycycline can reduce the risk of Lyme disease in people (or 4mg/kg in children over 8 years of age) who have been bitten by a deer tick that has been attached for over 36 hours. However, even in our area the chances of getting Lyme disease from a known tick bite are only 3%.
- There is no evidence that antibiotic treatment is effective to prevent transmission of Lyme disease for children <8 years old, so antibiotics are not recommended for children <8 years of age. During the next 4 weeks following a tick bite, come in for an exam if the child develops any rash, fever, or joint pain. Antibiotics are very effective in treating Lyme disease once a diagnosis has been made.
- If a small piece of the head of the tick remains after the tick body has been removed, most of the time we will leave it since it will come out on its own. If it appears relatively large, we could see the child within 24 hrs, (not an emergency) and determine if more needs to be removed. Monitor for signs/symptoms for local inflammation:
E.g . . . . A small area of redness (up to the size of a nickel), mild tenderness and small firm bump may occur due to local irritation and may persist for several weeks. A larger, spreading area of redness or tenderness should be evaluated.
