Parasitic infection is one of the most common childhood diseases. According to official statistics, more than 20 million people have been infected by worms, and 80% of them are children. The symptoms of worms in the body are not always obvious. Consider the main signs, treatments, and preventive measures of worm infection in children.
Types of worms
There are more than 300 kinds of worms. All of these can be divided into three groups:
- Nematodes (pinworms, roundworms, whipworms).
- Tapeworms (bovine tapeworms, pork tapeworms).
- Flukes (cats and Siberian flukes).
In most cases, children’s worms fall into the first category. in:
- Roundworms are long worms with pointed ends. The color can be different: from pink to yellow. Adult worms live in the small intestine. Roundworms reproduce fast-females can lay 240, 000 eggs per day;
- Pinworms-are round worms and small in size. They are usually white or light yellow. Females lay eggs near the anus and perineum. After a few hours, the eggs will become contagious.
- Vlasoglavs are round worms with a thin tip that can pierce the intestinal wall. At the same time, the whipworm was soaked in his blood and poisoned the remaining organs with their excrement. The secretions are absorbed into the blood and transported throughout the body.
important! Sometimes, parents will not even suspect that worms have settled in their children. In the chronic phase, the disease may be asymptomatic.
Experienced doctors say that through a thorough examination, worms can be found even in healthy-looking children.
How children get infected
The idea that infection with worms occurs due to insufficient child care is fundamentally wrong. Cases of worm infections are not uncommon among the wealthiest and tidy children. The main source of infection is dirty hands. An active child will learn about the world around him and spend a lot of time outdoors, in the garden, in the playground and in the sandbox. These are places where worm eggs accumulate in large quantities. It is not uncommon for children to be infected with animals that they like to play with.
Unwashed vegetables and fruits are another danger. Especially those species whose fruits are in contact with the ground, such as strawberries, should not be eaten without washing.
important! You should not think that peeled fruits (bananas, oranges, oranges) are absolutely safe. Before eating, it should be washed thoroughly like other fruits.
Eating fresh milk or goat milk may be infected with worms. If animals are kept under conditions that do not meet sanitary standards, it is not surprising that parasites settle in their milk. Another cause of worms may be meat and fish that are not properly cooked.
If the child does not develop the habit of hand hygiene before and after meals, infection cannot be avoided. The bad habits of biting your nails, sucking your fingers, or biting the tip of a pen or pencil are not completely harmless at first glance, because your child’s hands are not always clean enough. It is absolutely unacceptable for children to pet or touch stray cats or dogs.
Common symptoms
All signs of worm infection can be divided into general and specific, which are characteristics of certain types of parasites. Whether there is systemic poisoning in children can be judged by the general manifestations of helminthic lesions:
- Stool disorders (constipation, diarrhea);
- Frequent dizziness, nausea, bad breath;
- As parasites absorb most of the nutrients from food, their weight drops sharply;
- Skin diseases (rash, papilloma, quality, brittle nails);
- Nervous system diseases (children's moodiness, tears, poor sleep and chronic fatigue);
- Low hemoglobin level;
- Immune disorders, leading to frequent viral diseases;
- Low resistance to respiratory diseases (sinusitis, nasal polyps, adenoids);
- Allergic reaction.
important! The usual preventive vaccination may be a signal of the presence of parasites. If you have a severe allergic reaction, you must see a parasitologist!
Signs of pinworm infection
Caring parents want to know what the worms in their children's feces look like. Pinworms in the basin or near the anus of children can usually be seen only in advanced cases. Usually, it is difficult to see them with the naked eye. But a careful mother will always pay attention to the following symptoms:
- Anal itching;
- Abdominal pain, especially around the belly button;
- Drooling, nauseous;
- Anxiety in children who often wake up or fidget during sleep;
- Grinding teeth while sleeping (no definite medical evidence).
If the child’s anus is itchy, especially at night, this can cause parasites to infect the hands and then the skin all over the body. As a result, inflammatory diseases of the skin are possible. Grooming the anus is also dangerous, because when children take food, toys, or pull them into their mouths without washing their hands, this can cause pinworms to infect again.
Young girls have an increased risk of pinworms entering the external genitalia, and females crawl from the anus. This infection is accompanied by urinary incontinence and large discharge from the genitals. Lack of proper treatment can cause a significant delay in the child's growth and physical development.
Symptoms of damage to roundworms and whipworms
Unlike pinworms that are common in temperate climates, roundworms like warm and humid air. When a child starts to develop a dry cough without respiratory disease and worsens at night, a roundworm infection is suspected. This is because the parasite moves throughout the body. Other symptoms include skin rashes, fever, pale skin, and dark circles under the eyes. For serious diseases, gallbladder inflammation, neurological disorders, and seizures may occur.
Whipworm infections are usually slow or asymptomatic, but bloody diarrhea, anemia, and physical development delays may occur.
Diagnosis of helminthiasis
If a child is suspected of being infected, a series of tests and studies are required. The diagnostic method will determine the type of parasite. The child needs to pass:
- Analyze the feces of worm eggs-you need to rest for a few days;
- Ecological Disorder Analysis-Determine the difference between the E. coli index and the standard;
- General blood tests to determine the iron content in the body;
- Scrape pinworms.
important! In many cases, a single analysis of the presence of worms in the stool did not detect parasites in children. It is very important to recheck the stool.
Because pinworms and roundworms die quickly outside the body, it is recommended to perform a stool analysis as soon as possible after defecation to determine whether there are worms. Pinworms must be scraped off at least once a year. This is mandatory when the child enters a kindergarten, school or hospital.
In order to eliminate the risk of parasites entering other internal organs, ultrasound, endoscopy and computed tomography were performed.
Features of infant helminthiasis
Usually, children's infection with worms will occur after 1 year. This is a period of active understanding of the world. Babies like to study the things around them and taste them. However, cases of worm infection have also been found in infants. These diseases are considered a very serious problem, causing great harm to organisms that are still defenseless.
One of the main causes of the disease is infection with worms in the uterus. If the mother-to-be is a carrier of worms, their larvae during pregnancy can pass through the placenta and enter the fetus. Infections may occur during the baby's passage through the mother's birth canal. Therefore, newborn babies are already carriers of worms.
When a baby starts crawling, the risk of the baby getting worms increases. If there are pets at home and the basic hygiene rules are not followed, the baby can easily collect all kinds of bacteria and parasites in her body.
Compared with children 1 year and older, effective diagnosis in infancy is much more difficult. Signs of infantile helminthiasis may be bowel disorders, inflammation around the anus and around the labia of girls, loss of appetite and weight loss, irritability and anxiety. Even if the possibility of infection is small, you need to take your child to the doctor and have the necessary tests.
Traditional therapy
In most cases, the treatment of helminthiasis takes some time. The child should be taken to see a pediatrician, parasitologist, and pediatric gastroenterologist. The drug treatment is carried out in three stages: the period of elimination of toxins from the body, the course of deworming therapy, and the subsequent cleansing and strengthening plan.
Worm preparation
Before the use of antiparasitic drugs, children will be prescribed absorbents for body cleansing and antihistamines to relieve inflammation and allergic manifestations. Then take anthelmintics.
important! Insect medicine is poisonous, so you can only take it as directed by your doctor! Do not use strong drugs for prevention!
When prescribing medication, one must consider the child’s age, the severity of the disease, and the risk of side effects.
Pill formulas can be given to older children who are already able to swallow pills. It is not uncommon for children to refuse to swallow or spit out pills. Do not crush or crush the pills. You can try to give it to your child while playing or in food. For infants and one-year-old children, drugs in the form of drug suspensions are more suitable. The antiparasitic agent works according to the following scheme: the first method destroys the adult worms, and the second method prevents the larvae from maturing and reproducing.
Side effects usually indicate that the parasite has died under the influence of the drug. To eliminate them, you can take activated charcoal. But this should not be done earlier than 24 hours later, otherwise the effect of the insect repellent will be reduced. In some cases, complex antiparasitic treatments may be prescribed, which include several drugs. There are many contraindications to antihelminthics. They are not suitable for children with malignant tumors, certain blood diseases and liver dysfunction.
In order to eliminate severe itching in the anus, the doctor will prescribe anesthetics to reduce irritation and burning. Zinc oxide combined with beeswax or glycerin can reduce itching and form a protective film on the anal area.
important! With medication, it is necessary to perform a thorough cleaning of the house. To do this, you need to wash and iron the sheets carefully, dispose of your children’s things and toys, and eliminate cockroaches and bed bugs in your home.
During treatment, pay special attention to diet. Recommend protein foods and fermented dairy products. High-fiber foods are conducive to normal digestion and timely defecation. It is best to exclude sweets and baked goods from your diet.
How to remove parasites at home
Many recipes have folk remedies that allow you to remove worms at home. Treating with folk remedies not only helps to get rid of worms, but also has a beneficial effect on the life activities of children's organs. Consider the most effective traditional medicine.
Enema
With the help of enema, the decayed products of worms can be excreted from the intestines, even after they die, they will continue to infect the child's body. It is recommended to add a few cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of salt to the water during this process. This aqueous solution is better absorbed by the intestine. Before surgery, boil the mixture and cool to 36 degrees. Enema with garlic water is also suitable for the youngest child. During the operation, there is a risk of worms moving through the intestines. To avoid this, it is recommended to drink plenty of liquids before the enema.
To repel insects, you can add garlic to hot milk, pour the mixture into the pot, and let the baby sit on it. Worms will crawl out under the influence of garlic smoke. When performing such procedures, you need to be very careful not to burn the baby's skin.
Tansy
Tansy is known as an excellent medicine for the treatment of pinworms and roundworms because of its essential toxic oil. They are successfully used to excrete parasites from the human body. The only caveat: For successful treatment, a large dose is required, which is designed for adults. As for the question of whether tansy can be given to children as an anthelmintic, there is still no conclusion. This therapy has many side effects: nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, convulsions.
important! Aiju Decoction can only be prescribed to children who are at least 10 years old and weigh at least 30 kg. It is dangerous for preschool children to take tansy as a worm.
pumpkin seeds
This simple tool has been known since ancient times and was used by our ancestors. Pumpkin seeds are loved by many people and are an excellent medicine for treating parasites. You can use pumpkin seed oil instead of seeds, which is available in pharmacies. Take half an hour before meals. For children who don’t know how to eat seeds, you can cook pumpkin soup. For this, the seeds are crushed, poured into boiling water and kept in a water bath. Pour the resulting liquid for 24 hours, filter and drink.
onion
Pour boiling water on the chopped onions and soak for 12 hours. I drank this infusion for a few days. Onions and garlic are suitable for daily meals.
juice
Carrot juice is considered to be the most common method of treating worms. It must of course be freshly squeezed. Useful juices from beet, pomegranate and cabbage, as well as rosehip infusion. However, you need to understand that it is impossible to eliminate worms with juice alone. Therefore, their use on an empty stomach is considered part of the comprehensive anti-helminth therapy.
Natural vegetable oil
Hemp, linseed and cedar oil have anti-parasitic properties. They are completely safe for babies. You can moisten a piece of cotton in oil and apply it to your child's anus at night. Through this action, the eggs of the pinworm are destroyed, which are laid by the female while the child is sleeping.
Doctors about worm treatment
The famous doctor pointed out in a televised speech that only with the help of modern medicine can it be possible to successfully treat worms. The doctor strongly advises parents not to self-administer medication and consult a specialist in time.
In this case, it is important to determine which type of worms attacked the baby and which drugs are most effective for him. From folk remedies, a well-known doctor suggested that pumpkin seeds should be taken 300 grams at a time. However, the gnashing of teeth in the dream is a sign of worm invasion, which experts think is nonsense.
Prevent helminthiasis
To minimize the possibility of infection with parasites, preventive measures should be taken:
- Ensure that children wash their hands as often as possible, especially before meals and after going to the toilet;
- Don't drink raw water;
- Don't eat raw meat and fish;
- Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly;
- Do not let children touch stray dogs and cats with their hands, and regularly give pets insect repellent;
- Wash children's toys every day;
- Cut your nails short, usually parasite eggs will accumulate under your nails;
- Maintain personal hygiene and household cleanliness;
- In the fall and spring, carry out deworming prevention with the whole family.
Compliance with all the rules does not absolutely guarantee protection from parasites, but it can significantly reduce the risk of infection and its serious consequences.