Clinical Review
Zika virus: Counseling considerations for this emerging perinatal threat
Zika virus infection, although typically mild and often asymptomatic, can have serious consequences in pregnancy. As the pandemic rapidly spreads...
With summer almost upon us, and the weather warming in many parts of the country, we have received questions from colleagues about the best over-the-counter insect repellants to advise their pregnant patients to use.
The preferred insect repellent for skin coverate is DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) (TABLE). Oil of lemon/eucalyptus/para-menthane-diol and IR3535 are also acceptable repellents to use on the skin that are safe for use in pregnancy. In addition, patients should be instructed to spray permethrin on their clothing or buy clothing (boots, pants, socks) that has been pretreated with permethrin.1,2
TABLE OTC insect repellents appropriate for use in pregnancy
| Repellent | Product | Manufacturer | Notes |
| DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) | Off! | SC Johnson | Preferred repellent for use on the skin |
| Repel 100 | Spectrum Brands | ||
| Ultra 30 Liposome Controlled Release | Sawyer | ||
| Oil of lemon/eucalyptus/ para-menthane-diol | Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent | Spectrum Brands | Acceptable option for skin use |
| IR3535 | Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus IR3535 Expedition | Avon | Acceptable option for skin use |
| Permethrin | Repel Permethrin Clothing & Gear Aerosol | Spectrum Brands | For use on clothing |
| Permethrin Pump Spray | Sawyer | ||
| Abbreviations: OTC, over the counter | |||
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