Protect your Baby from Mosquitoes
BabyHub’s business development officer, Gemma, wrote the post below. She has a young daughter of her own and has been concerned about the growing danger from mosquitoes. Gemma researched the options offering protection to babies from mosquitoes and writes here about BabyHub SleepSpace and other portable cots:
Have you heard the news about the danger from mosquitoes?
If like me you can’t sleep soundly without first frantically checking walls, ceilings, furnishings or just about any nook and cranny of your home or beautifully decorated holiday suite for mosquitoes then you may have noticed, or is it just me, the sheer number of articles in recent months featuring news of the spread of deadly diseases by mosquitoes?
Perhaps it is because I’m relatively new to this parenting malarkey but I’m noticing, all the more, how important it is to have products that protect babies and children from the world around them; in particular protection from biting insects that can cause severe illness or indeed even death. Now, I don’t particularly want to be all doom and gloom but let’s just take a minute to look at some of the facts and figures. I recently read the article published by The Daily Star “Heatwave sparks spread of lethal Mosquito virus in Europe – 22 Dead” The article reads in part:
“Health experts have warned cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) have increased dramatically in 2018 compared to the previous four years.
“A total of 401 human WNV infections have been reported in Europe with 22 deaths according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).”
“The most affected countries include Serbia (126 cases), Italy (123), Greece (75), Hungary (39) and Romania (31).”
“A staggering 84 people have been struck down by the virus including four deaths in Veneto, north east Italy.”
In the article the ECDC say “Rocketing temperatures and extended dry spells following intense short periods of rain throughout the summer have helped mosquito breeding.”
“Most people infected with West Nile Virus do not develop symptoms, but one in five develop a fever and around one in 150 infected sufferers can develop a severe and potentially fatal illness affecting the central nervous system or meningitis.”
“It is reported that 59 of the 84 cases in Veneto were described as mild but in the rest encephalitis, inflammation of the brain which can be life-threatening, had developed.”
OK so maybe it did get a bit doom and gloom back there - my heart particularly took an extra beat or two when I read the word “Meningitis”! But you can see how as parents we need to be so vigilant? I don’t think we can take for granted that we might be living in parts of the world where we don’t see deadly diseases anymore. Recently the “Jersey Evening Post” from the tiny Island of Jersey, located just off the French coast and part of the British Isles, published the article “New Insect Threat on the Way? - ASIAN tiger mosquitoes capable of carrying both dengue fever and the Zika virus are likely to spread to Jersey within the next few months” The thought of these little buzzing irritants around my daughter and even more so, little buzzing irritants carrying deadly or infectious diseases, sends shivers down my spine and makes me want to wrap my 2 year old in bubble wrap! But we all know that those pockets of air just aren’t going to last - *pop*! So I instantly took to Facebook to remind my friends that there are products which can protect our little ones.
For instance the SleepSpace travel cot from BabyHub. This award winning travel cot is designed to allow babies or young children to stand and play with the full length mosquito net in place. The net and tepee cover come in the box with the travel cot; its fantastic value for money when you consider how much it costs to buy a cot these days plus a net, and then a play tepee as well! What a deal! This full size travel cot is suitable from birth to three years of age.
Now I know BabyHub most definitely are not the only company to sell a travel cot with mosquito net to accompany their products, though I am struggling to find travel cots that sell the mosquito net with the cot on initial purchase, but that might just be me not doing a very good job at finding them. Let’s just take a quick look at some I have managed to find though. Firstly, you have such products as the Arc-2 travel cot by LittleLife which features netting, forming part of the arch shape of the cot and so allows for protection against insects without needing an add on – This cot reminds me of a mini tent so could very well be suited to families wanting to go on their first camping trip with baby in tow. Of course, there are other options out there like the Inovi Cocoon Bassinet suitable for up to 6 months. It has a removable mesh cover that protects your little one from insects and curious pets whilst allowing air to circulate around them. Brands such as Nuna Sena sell the Nuna Sena insect net to be used with their cots and also there is the Babydan mosquito net which can be used with most of the standard shape travel cots by simply placing the net over the open section of the cot and securing around the sides. As I said earlier there must be other cots out there that do offer insect/mosquito nets for their products so if you have found some why not leave a comment below?
Have Mosquitos been an issue for you this season? Have they always been an issue for you but now even more so? The question remains what insect protection will you and your family use on your travels?