A Pediatrician’s Guide to Tick Season (Prevention & Removal)

Ajouté : 2026-05-19

[00:00:05][music] >> Which means stay away from the match. No tick needs fire, Vaseline, or essential oils. That's outdated advice and can actually increase your child's risk of infection. Hey, I'm Dr. Mona, pediatrician mom, and someone who's seen way too many dangerous tick removal videos online and in real life when I trained in upstate New York. Make sure you follow for child health development and parenting tips if you're not already. Using heat or suffocation, that can cause a tick to burrow deeper or release more saliva, raising the risk of disease transmission, including Lyme disease. Here's what to do instead. Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick tool like the Bug Bite Thing. Grab the tick as close to the person's skin as possible, right at the tick's head or mouth parts.

[00:00:52]Don't squeeze the body, that can push bacteria into your child's bloodstream.

[00:00:57]Ticks are the most common in the Northeast, Upper Midwest, and West Coast, but they've been reported in almost every US state. Lyme disease is especially common in places like Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

[00:01:10]Most tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme, aren't transmitted right away. The tick usually has to be attached for 24 to 48 hours to pass on the bacteria. That's why quick removal matters so much. When to check for ticks? Right after outdoor play, especially in grassy, bushy, or wooded areas. A bath or shower within 2 hours can rinse off ticks that haven't latched yet, and makes it easier to check all those sneaky spots: behind ears, hairline, underarms, waistband, groin, and toes. If you remove a tick and it was on for more than 24 hours, or you're unsure, save it in a sealed bag with the date. It may help if symptoms show up later, like a bull's-eye rash, fever, fatigue, headache, or joint pain.

[00:01:50]And even if you don't see a rash, keep an eye out for any unusual symptoms over the next 30 days. If something feels off, call your child's clinician. If this was helpful, save it, share it, and check the caption for tips on preventing tick bites.