Pedemy · For parents

Tick bites in children — tracker

Record when and where the bite happened, how the tick was removed and any changes in the weeks after.

Use these notes with your child’s clinician. This tool does not diagnose illness, prescribe treatment or confirm that home care is safe.

Get emergency care now

Call 911 for a child who is very hard to wake, struggling to breathe or having a seizure. A severe headache with a stiff neck needs emergency care now.

Call the doctor

Call the doctor for a rash, fever, facial droop, swollen joints or a racing heartbeat in the weeks after a tick bite, and mention the bite.

Your entries stay in this open page and disappear when it is reloaded or closed. Print a copy if needed. Avoid names and identifying details.

Care reminders

Ticks can attach without causing pain, so many bites are found only during a tick check. Remove the tick right away, then watch for a rash or fever over the next several weeks.
Pull the tick straight out with fine-tipped tweezers, clean the skin and note the date and place.
A spreading rash or fever in the weeks after a bite needs a doctor, even without a bull's-eye.

Read the guide

Sources

Common questions

Does every tick bite cause Lyme disease?

No. Only some ticks carry the bacteria, and the risk depends on the kind of tick and where the bite happened.

What if the tick's head stays in the skin?

Lift it out with tweezers if that is easy. If not, leave it alone; digging can hurt the skin, and the body pushes it out while healing.

What does a Lyme disease rash look like on a child?

It is a warm, red patch that spreads outward from the bite over days. Some have a clear center like a target, but many are evenly colored.