Recent research at Duke University has found that daily use of DEET may lead to neurological damage. This scientific study found that rats whose skin was treated with the normal human dosage of this insect repellent suffered from both behavioural changes and measurable brain damage after only 60 days. This is disturbing because the dosage and the length this study is similar to what human users may be exposed to.
As you might imagine, you won't find this information on any industry-sponsored web site. Unlike deet.com and deetonline.org, this site is not sponsored by a DEET manufacturer or industry group. Furthermore, the author has no financial interest in either the use of DEET or any alternatives to DEET. The goal of this site is to provide fair representation of the scientific information regarding the safety and usage of DEET.
Not surprisingly, this pediatrician agrees with the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines that suggest that only DEET products of 10% strength or less should be used on children (who, according to case studies, are more susceptible to the neurotoxic effects of this chemical).
With the growing presence of West Nile Virus, consumers have to make a decision as to safe usage of DEET-based insect repellents. DEET has been shown to be the most effective mosquito repellent currently on the market, but this should be balanced with the health threat of the repellent itself. There are now many natural alternatives to DEET-based insect repellents. There is scientific evidence which supports the claim that these alternatives do repel mosquitoes, although not as effectively as DEET.
The authoritative source for scientific information on DEET (and any other health-related topic) is MEDLINE. This lists the abstracts (summaries) of scientific papers. Search for "DEET children" or just "DEET" for a long list of unbiased research papers on DEET.
This site is a work-in-progress. Consider this my personal online report on DEET, motivated only to counter what I see to be biased information on the internet about an important health issue. I'll continue to add links and information as time permits.