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SHOP PRODUCTSNew York Times: In Fight Against Malaria, an Unexpected — and Snuggly — Shield
Treating baby wraps with a mosquito repellent shows promising protection against a top killer of children.
New York Times: In Fight Against Malaria, an Unexpected — and Snuggly — Shield
Last updated:
October 27, 2025
| 5 min read
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Treating baby wraps with a mosquito repellent shows promising protection against a top killer of children.
Watch videoNew York Times: In Fight Against Malaria, an Unexpected — and Snuggly — Shield
In Fight Against Malaria, an Unexpected — and Snuggly — Shield
As an American medical resident in a global health program in Uganda 12 years ago, Dr. Ross Boyce saw the devastating toll of malaria firsthand. About half of the patients he saw in a rural clinic had the disease. Most were very young children; many recovered with treatment, but some did not survive.
Dr. Boyce noticed something else: All of the Ugandan mothers carried their babies tied on their backs with a wide piece of cotton. And this made him think about the clothing he wore long before medical school, when he was deployed to Iraq as an infantry officer: the U.S. military treated his uniforms with permethrin, a long-acting insecticide, to protect against mosquito-borne illnesses.
Dr. Boyce floated an idea among his Ugandan colleagues: Could they treat baby wraps in insecticides too? Might that keep mosquitoes away from babies?
Stephanie Nolen
Stephanie Nolen is a Canadian journalist and writer.
In Fight Against Malaria, an Unexpected — and Snuggly — Shield
As an American medical resident in a global health program in Uganda 12 years ago, Dr. Ross Boyce saw the devastating toll of malaria firsthand. About half of the patients he saw in a rural clinic had the disease. Most were very young children; many recovered with treatment, but some did not survive.
Dr. Boyce noticed something else: All of the Ugandan mothers carried their babies tied on their backs with a wide piece of cotton. And this made him think about the clothing he wore long before medical school, when he was deployed to Iraq as an infantry officer: the U.S. military treated his uniforms with permethrin, a long-acting insecticide, to protect against mosquito-borne illnesses.
Dr. Boyce floated an idea among his Ugandan colleagues: Could they treat baby wraps in insecticides too? Might that keep mosquitoes away from babies?
Stephanie Nolen
Stephanie Nolen is a Canadian journalist and writer.
In Fight Against Malaria, an Unexpected — and Snuggly — Shield
As an American medical resident in a global health program in Uganda 12 years ago, Dr. Ross Boyce saw the devastating toll of malaria firsthand. About half of the patients he saw in a rural clinic had the disease. Most were very young children; many recovered with treatment, but some did not survive.
Dr. Boyce noticed something else: All of the Ugandan mothers carried their babies tied on their backs with a wide piece of cotton. And this made him think about the clothing he wore long before medical school, when he was deployed to Iraq as an infantry officer: the U.S. military treated his uniforms with permethrin, a long-acting insecticide, to protect against mosquito-borne illnesses.
Dr. Boyce floated an idea among his Ugandan colleagues: Could they treat baby wraps in insecticides too? Might that keep mosquitoes away from babies?
Stephanie Nolen
Stephanie Nolen is a Canadian journalist and writer.
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