There is research that shows that DEET can cause nerve damage in children and babies and lead to fits - click here. DeetFree is safe for all the family - and your pets! - because it has NONE of the nasty chemicals found in most available repellents - No DEET, No Citronella. Because it is DEET free it does not attack synthetic materials such as Gore-Tex, plastics, rubber etc. But DeetFree is extremely effective. We have tried it in Majorca, Mexico, Ibiza, The Yorkshire Dales and up the Amazon - everyone raves about it!