In Reply to: about deet.. posted by pegs on Wednesday, 16. January 2008 at 15:54 Bali Time:
Thanks for your input it is greatly appriciated no doctor or aspiring doctor.
The following is from 2006 taken from Dr Mercola's [US] website regarding DEET.
Most commercial insect repellants contain a chemical known as DEET and should be used with caution, if at all. Many studies have found DEET to have harmful effects. One study found that DEET causes diffuse brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats, and researchers suggest that humans may experience memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, tremors and shortness of breath with heavy exposure to DEET and other insecticides.
Further, in combination with other chemicals or medications the chemicals could cause brain deficits in vulnerable populations. Children are particularly at risk for subtle brain changes because their skin more readily absorbs chemicals in the environment and chemicals more potently affect their developing nervous systems.
In the event that you choose to use DEET, although I strongly recommend against it, do not use the products on infants and be very wary of using them on children at all (at least make sure products for children contain 15 percent or less DEET). The following precautions were issued by The New York State Department of Health for repellents containing DEET:
Store bottle out of the reach of children and read all instructions on label before applying.
Do not let children apply DEET themselves because they may put them in their mouths or touch their eyes.
Avoid prolonged and excessive use of DEET. Use sparingly to cover exposed skin; do not treat unexposed skin.