Protecting baby and mum-to-be from mosquitoes, without chemicals

To protect your baby and mum-to-be from mosquitoes, the safest answer is also the gentlest: a physical barrier. A magnetic screen fitted to the nursery window lets the cool air in and keeps mosquitoes out, with no spray, no plug-in diffuser and no chemicals at all in the air your child breathes. What remains is knowing where to fit it, which habits to adopt day to day and how to react to a bite: here is the room-by-room guide.

When you are expecting a baby or have just brought a newborn home, the faintest buzz at night feels like a full-scale alert. The good news: there is no need to turn the house into a bunker or to stack up products. A few simple habits are enough to give the whole family genuinely peaceful summer nights.

Why babies and pregnant women attract more mosquitoes

It is not your imagination: mosquitoes do not bite at random. To find their target, they follow two main signals, body heat and the carbon dioxide we breathe out. Pregnancy happens to come with a slightly higher body temperature and heavier breathing. The mum-to-be becomes, entirely against her will, an easier target to locate, especially at night when the air in the bedroom is still.

For the very youngest, the issue is less about attracting mosquitoes than about putting up with them. A newborn's skin is thin and reactive: a mosquito bite often leaves a more pronounced patch than on an adult, and the itching alone is enough to cut a whole night to pieces. A baby can neither shoo the intruder away nor resist scratching: it is up to their environment to protect them.

No need to worry unduly, though: bites are usually harmless. But between the night-time waking, the cheeks dotted with bumps and the parents' anxiety, they deserve better than a resigned "it will pass".

Sprays, diffusers, essential oils: why to do without them in a nursery

Faced with mosquitoes, the first instinct is often to reach for a repellent or plug in a diffuser. In a newborn's room, it is worth thinking twice: these products release active substances into a room that is often closed, where your baby spends every night and a good part of the day. As a precaution, they are best kept well away from children's bedrooms, and you should ask a healthcare professional (doctor, midwife, pharmacist) before applying anything to the skin. Official guidance from the health authorities points the same way: for the youngest children, protection comes first from covering clothing and a magnetic screen.

And what about essential oils, so often presented as the natural alternative? That is the classic trap. Natural does not mean harmless: concentrated and powerful, essential oils are not recommended for pregnant women or babies, whether diffused or applied. We explain why in detail in our article on essential oils to repel mosquitoes.

The golden rule is simple: in a nursery, the fewer products in the air, the better everyone breathes. So the real question is not "which repellent should I choose?", but "how do I stop mosquitoes getting in?".

Mechanical protection, room by room

The winning strategy is not to chase mosquitoes once they are in the house, but to close the door on them. In practice, it all comes down to two or three well-chosen openings.

The bedroom window: the priority

Most mosquitoes let themselves in through the window left ajar in the evening. A magnetic window magnetic screen settles the matter once and for all: it goes up without drilling, in about ten minutes and without tools, and its fiberglass mesh lets air and light through while blocking insects. The room stays cool, baby sleeps, the mosquitoes stay outside. Since every window has its own dimensions, a custom screen gives you a perfectly fitted panel if yours falls outside the standard sizes.

The patio door in the living room: the opening everyone forgets

People fit out the nursery and stop there. Yet the patio door left wide open during dinner or the evening bath is a motorway: mosquitoes slip into the house, wait, then head for the bedrooms at bedtime. A magnetic door magnetic screen opens with one hand, even with a baby in your arms, and closes itself again thanks to its magnets: the way through stays clear for the family, not for the uninvited.

Airing at night, finally without a second thought

In summer, airing the bedroom is essential to keep the temperature bearable. That is precisely where a magnetic screen changes everything: window open all night, air renewed, nothing getting in. Protecting your baby from mosquitoes at night then takes no effort at all, the barrier works while everyone sleeps. To go further, we have gathered our best tips in this guide to keeping mosquitoes away at night naturally.

Baby's summer sleep: the right habits

A protected bedroom is the main thing. A few habits round out the plan. Temperature first: aim for a fairly cool room, airing early in the morning and late in the evening, with the shutters or blinds half closed during the hottest hours. A baby who is too warm sleeps badly, perspires more and gives off more heat: all signals that interest mosquitoes.

As for clothing, a light cotton bodysuit is plenty on warm nights, there is no need to pile on layers. And if you go out at the end of the day, when mosquitoes are at their most active, choose loose, covering clothes: at that age, it is safer and more effective than any product applied to the skin.

Finally, get into the habit of a quick check on waking and after naps: a look at the face, the hands and the ankles lets you spot a bite early, and act before your baby starts scratching.

Your baby got bitten anyway? Take a breath

Despite every precaution, a bite can happen, and in the vast majority of cases it is nothing serious. Wash the area with soap and water, apply a cool cloth to calm the itching, keep your baby's nails short to limit scratching, then simply keep an eye on how it develops. If the reaction looks unusual to you (significant swelling, fever, an inconsolable baby), ask your doctor or your pharmacist for advice. All the right steps are set out in our article on what to do if you get a mosquito bite.

The checklist before summer

• Fit a magnetic screen to the nursery window.
• Fit the living room patio door too, and the parents' bedroom window if your baby sleeps there for the first few months.
• Check the panels already in place: the smallest snag is a way in.
• Take sprays, diffusers and plug-in devices out of the nursery.
• Empty any standing water on the balcony or terrace (saucers, watering cans, toys), where mosquitoes breed.
• Get in light bodysuits and a summer sleeping bag, and trim your baby's nails regularly.

Frequently asked questions