Helana Ghali BS, Sharon E, Albers MD
La N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) is considered the "goldstandard" of insect repellents since since the 1950s, andd is present in majority of insect repellents on the market. However, conflicting data in the scientific literature and confusing information in the media are at the center of debates about the safety of DEET insect repellents for protecting children from arthropod bites. The few fatal events involving DEET insect repellents and complications (especially neurological) related to their use in the pediatric population are usually the result of accidental overdose or misuse ignorando the warnings on product labels. If the manner of application are adeguate, the safety record of DEET insect repellents continues to be excellent with few side effects. The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of the literature on the safety outcomes of DEET insect repellent use in children; outline pediatric recommendations regarding DEET insect repellents (avoid use over large areas of products with concentrations greater than 30 percent; avoid ingestion of the product; wash DEET-treated parts one vbolta terminated the risk of aggression by arthropods); and provide an overview of EPA-approved, naturally derived alternatives to DEET that possess low toxicity while providing a similar level of protection to synthetic insect repellents. One possible natural alternative are products containing 2-undecanone (substance derivata from tomato), effective and safe even for children under 3 years of age, but pur unfortunately not readily available. Other better-known approved preparations are oil of citronella, theeucalyptus extracts, oil peppermint and permethrin although many of them do not have the same spectrum of durability as DEET.
The products based on picaridin (Icaridin), not considered in this work, are another viable alternative to the use of DEET.