The American Academy of Pediatrics says that DEET in concentrations up to 30% is okay to use on children over two months of age. I'm not a big fan of intentionally spreading synthetic chemicals in the environment or onto my body, but it seems that after 50 years of use, I can take a look at risks and lack of effective alternatives and say, "Spray it on!"
This is on the basis of the discomfort of the bite, which for our youngest child is quite serious. Yes, we'll reduce the chances of West Nile Virus and tick bites, but it is just the scratching and lost sleep over the bites that makes it worth while to me.
How bad are the mosquitoes? One recent night, I was weighing the pros and cons of bathing the children in the evening. My wife thought I just didn't want the hassle of bathing them. "Oh no," I assured her, "it's not that. You see, they might wash off too much of their bug spray before bed, and I want them to have it on overnight." The mosquitoes are bad inside the house on some nights.
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