Signs and Symptoms
You may see a bug bite or notice your child scratching or rubbing their arms or legs against something. What start as small bruise-like areas turn into red bumps on the exposed parts of the body (arms, legs, chest, and sometimes the face). There may be a clustered configuration of 3 bites in a line (commonly known as "breakfast, lunch, and dinner"). Resolution takes about 2 weeks and may leave some darker areas of skin (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation).
Infants who are prone to eczema may develop a generalized bumpy redness in large areas with severe itching, and they may vigorously scratch the area, which puts infants at risk for bacterial infection if the scratching causes breaks in the skin. Make sure to keep infants' nails trimmed short.
You may see tell-tale signs of bedbug infestation, such as blood stains on the sheets, flecks of bedbug dung on or around the bed, or smell a sweet odor that results from large numbers of bedbugs. You may be able to spot a moving bedbug if you are searching at night.
Who's At Risk
