Mosquitoes: Why do some children get bitten more than others?

Why do some kids hardly get bitten by mosquitoes, while others are such a mozzie magnet?

Nothing – from patches to mosquito coils – works. Why?

Mosquitoes are drawn to the heat from our skin, explains Dr Low Kah Tzay, paediatrician at Anson International Paediatric & Child Development Clinic.

If your three-year-old child is more active and emits more heat, he may attract more mosquitoes than his elder brother.

Children generally attract more mosquito bites than adults because their skin is usually warmer.

What you can do is to let him take a shower to keep him cool, and put him in long-sleeved shirts and long pants made of light cotton.

Mosquitoes are most active during dusk and dawn.

As a last resort, keep your three-year-old indoors during those times.

This article was first published in Young Parents.