Infection with helminths is one of the most common childhood diseases. According to official statistics, more than 20 million people are affected by helminthic attacks, 80% of whom are children. Symptoms of the presence of worms in the body are not always expressed. Consider what are the main signs of infection with helminths in children, methods of treatment and their preventive measures.
Types of helminths
There are more than 3 hundred types of worms. All of them can be divided into three groups:
- Nematodes (pin worms, ring worms, whip worms).
- Tapeworms (cow tapeworms, pig tapeworms).
- Fluke worms (Siberian cats and flukes).
Often, children have worms that belong to the first group. Among them:
- Ringworms are long worms with pointed ends. Colors can vary: from pink to yellow. Adult small intestinal parasites. Roundworms reproduce at high speeds - females are capable of laying up to 240 thousand eggs per day;
- Pinworms - belong to the round worms and small size. They are usually white or yellowish. Females lay eggs near the anus and in the perineum. Eggs become contagious after a few hours.
- Vlasoglav are round worms with a thin anterior tip, with which they can penetrate the intestinal wall. At the same time, the whip worm is saturated with its blood and poisons the entire organ with the rest. Secretions are absorbed into the bloodstream and carried throughout the body.
Important! Sometimes parents do not suspect that helminths have settled in their child’s body. At the chronic stage, the disease may be asymptomatic.
Experienced doctors say that with a thorough examination, worms can be found even in externally healthy children.
How children are infected
Basically wrong is the opinion that worm infections occur from inadequate child care. Cases of helminths infestation are not uncommon in the most prosperous and well-groomed children. The main source of infection is dirty hands. An active child learns the world around him and spends a lot of time outside, in the park, on the playground and in the sandbox. This is a place of significant collection of worm eggs. There are frequent cases of infection from animals that children love to play with.
Unwashed vegetables and fruits are another danger. Especially species whose fruit is in contact with the ground, such as strawberries, should not be eaten without being washed.
Important! You should not think that peeled fruits (bananas, tangerines, oranges) will be completely safe. Before eating, it should be washed as thoroughly as other fruits.
You can be infected with worms by eating fresh cow's or goat's milk. If the animal has been kept in conditions that do not meet hygiene standards, it is not surprising that parasites have settled in its milk. Another cause of worms can be meat and fish that are not cooked properly.
Infection cannot be avoided if the child has not developed hand hygiene habits before eating and after toileting. The bad habit of biting nails, sucking fingers, biting the tip of a pen or pencil is not at all dangerous, as it seems at first glance, because a child's hands are not always clean enough. It is totally unacceptable for a child to pet or handle an abandoned cat or dog.
Common Symptoms
All signs of manifestation of infection with worms can be divided into general and specific, which are characteristic of certain types of parasites. The presence of general intoxication in the body of a child can be assessed by the general manifestations of worm lesions:
- stool disorders (constipation, diarrhea);
- frequent dizziness, nausea, foul -smelling breath;
- sudden weight loss due to the fact that parasites absorb most nutrients from food;
- dermatological diseases (skin rash, papilloma, diathesis, brittle nails);
- nervous system disorders (depression, tears, lack of sleep and chronic fatigue in children);
- low hemoglobin levels;
- immune disorders, which lead to frequent viral diseases;
- low resistance to respiratory diseases (sinusitis, nasal polyps, adenoids);
- allergic reactions.
Important! Regular prophylactic vaccination can be a signal of the presence of parasites. If it is accompanied by a severe allergic reaction, a visit to a parasite is necessary!
Signs of a cream worm attack
Concerned parents want to know what worms look like in a child's stool. Usually pinworms in pots or near the anus of children can be seen only in advanced cases. As a rule, it is rare to see them with the naked eye. But an attentive mother will always pay attention to the following symptoms:
- itching of the anus;
- pain in the abdomen, especially around the navel;
- drooling, nausea;
- anxiety of a child who often wakes up or is restless in his sleep;
- teeth grind during sleep (no definitive medical evidence).
If a child itches in the anus, especially at night, this leads to parasites getting on the hands, and then on the skin of the whole body. As a result, inflammatory skin diseases are possible. Brushing the anus is also dangerous because it contributes to re-infection with cream worms when the child, without washing his hands, takes food, toys, or pulls them into his mouth.
Young girls have an increased risk of cream worms entering the external genitalia, where women crawl from the anus. The infection is accompanied by urinary incontinence and heavy discharge from the genitals. Lack of proper treatment can cause significant delays in a child’s physical growth and development.
Symptoms of damage to ringworm and whip worms
Unlike common cream worms in temperate climates, ringworms prefer hot and humid air. Ascaris infection is suspected when a child, in the absence of a respiratory illness, begins to develop tuberculosis, which worsens at night. This is due to the fact that the parasite travels throughout the body. Other symptoms include a rash on the body, fever, pale skin, and dark circles under the eyes. With severe forms of the disease, gallbladder inflammation, nerve disorders, and epileptic seizures are possible.
Infection with whipworms is usually mild or asymptomatic, but bloody diarrhea, anemia, and slow physical development may occur.
Diagnosis of helminthiasis
If a child is suspected of being infected, it is necessary to conduct a series of tests and studies. The diagnostic method will determine the type of parasite. The child must pass:
- fecal analysis for worm eggs - you need to take it with a break of a few days;
- analysis for dysbiosis - establishing differences between E. coli indicators from the norm;
- general blood tests to determine iron levels in the body;
- scrape for cream worms.
Important! A single analysis for the presence of helminths in feces in many cases does not detect parasites in the body of children. Re -examination of stool is very important.
Since cream worms and ringworms quickly die outside the human body, it is recommended to take a stool analysis for the presence of helminths as soon as possible after bowel movements. Scraping for pinworms must be done at least once a year. It is mandatory when a child enters a kindergarten, school or hospital.
To eliminate the risk of parasites entering other internal organs, ultrasound, endoscopic examination, and computed tomography are performed.
Characteristics of the disease with worms in infants
Usually, worm infections in children occur after 1 year. This is a period of active knowledge of the world, when the baby loves to study the objects around him, to feel them. However, cases of helminths infection are also found in infants. Such diseases are considered a very serious problem, causing great harm to organisms that are still helpless.
One of the main causes of this disease is a worm infection while still in the womb. If the pregnant mother herself is a carrier of the worms, their larvae during pregnancy can enter the fetus through the placenta. Infection can occur during the baby’s passage through the mother’s birth canal. Therefore, barely born, the baby is already a worm carrier.
The risk of helminths infection in infants increases when infants begin to crawl. If the house contains pets, basic hygiene rules are not followed, then it is easy for the baby to collect all kinds of bacteria and parasites in his body.
It is more difficult to carry out an effective diagnosis in infancy than in children from the age of 1 year and older. Signs of helminthiasis in infants can be bowel disorders, inflammation around the anus and around the labia in girls, poor appetite and weight loss, irritability and anxiety. Even in the case of the possibility of an insignificant infection, you need to show the child to a doctor and make the necessary tests.
Traditional treatment
In most cases, treatment of helminthiasis takes some time. The child should be taken to a pediatrician, parasitologist and pediatric gastroenterologist. Drug treatment takes place in three stages: a period of removing toxins from the body, a course of anthelmintic therapy and a subsequent cleansing and strengthening program.
Preparations for worms
Before using antiparasitic agents, children are prescribed sorbents for general cleansing of the body and antihistamines to relieve inflammation and manifestations of allergies. This is followed by taking anthelmintic medication.
Important! Preparations for worms are toxic, so they can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor, observing the prescribed dose! Do not use strong drugs for prophylaxis!
When prescribing medication, the age of the child, the severity of the disease, and the risk of side effects must be taken into account.
Pill formulations can be given to older children who can already swallow pills. It is not uncommon for children to refuse to swallow a pill or spit it out. Do not crush or crush the pill. You can try giving it to your child while playing or with food. For infants and one-year-old children, medication in the form of a drug suspension is more appropriate. Antiparasitic agents act according to the following scheme: the first method destroys the adult helminths, and the next prevents the maturation and reproduction of larvae.
Side effects usually indicate the death of the parasite under the influence of the drug. To eliminate it, you can take activated carbon. But this should be done no earlier than after 24 hours, otherwise the effect of antihelminthic agents will diminish. In some cases, a complex course of antiparasites may be prescribed, including some medications. Antihelminthic agents have several contraindications. They are not prescribed for children with malignant tumors, certain blood diseases and liver dysfunction.
To eliminate severe itching in the anus, an anesthetic is prescribed, which relieves the feeling of irritation and burning. Zinc oxide in combination with beeswax or glycerin reduces itching and creates a protective layer in the anal area.
Important! Along with drug treatment, it is necessary to carry out general cleaning of the house. To do this, you need to thoroughly wash and iron bed linen, process children’s items and toys, and destroy cockroaches and bugs in the house.
During treatment, special attention is given to diet. Protein foods, fermented dairy products are recommended. Foods high in fiber are beneficial for normal digestion and timely bowel movements. It is better to exclude sweets and baked goods from the diet.
How to get rid of parasites at home
Folk remedies are presented in many recipes that allow you to remove worms at home. Treatment with folk remedies helps not only get rid of worms, but also has a beneficial effect on the vital activities of children's organs. Consider the most effective traditional medicine.
Enema
With the help of enemas, the decay products of helminths can be removed from the intestines, which, even after their death, continue to infect the child's body. It is recommended to add a few cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of salt into the water for the procedure. Such aqueous solutions are better absorbed into the intestine. Before the procedure, the mixture is boiled and cooled to 36 degrees. An enema with garlic water is also suitable for the youngest children. During the procedure, there is a risk of helminths moving through the intestines. To avoid this, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids before prescribing an enema.
To repel worms, you can add garlic to hot milk, pour the mixture into a pot and sit the baby on it. The worms will creep out under the influence of garlic smoke. When performing such a procedure, you need to be careful not to burn the baby's skin.
Tansy
Tansy has gained a reputation as an excellent remedy for cream worms and ringworm because of its essential toxic oils. They are successfully used to expel parasites from the human body. The only caveat: for successful treatment, large doses are required, designed for adults. On the question of whether it is possible to give tansy to children as an antihelminthic agent, it is impossible to get a definite answer. This drug has a fairly long list of side effects: nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, seizures.
Important! Decoction of tansy can be prescribed only to children aged at least 10 years, who weigh at least 30 kg. It is dangerous for preschoolers to take tansy for worms.
Pumpkin seeds
This simple tool has been known since ancient times and was used by our ancestors. Pumpkin seeds, which are very popular with many, act as an excellent remedy for parasites. Instead of seeds, you can give pumpkin seed oil, which is sold in pharmacies. It is taken half an hour before meals. For small children who still do not know how to eat seeds, you can cook pumpkin decoction. For this, the seeds are crushed, poured with boiling water and stored in a water bath. The resulting liquid is infused for 24 hours and drunk after filtering.
Onion
Pour boiling water over the chopped onions and infuse for 12 hours. This infusion is taken for several days. Shallots and garlic are good for regular dishes.
Jus
Carrot juice is considered the most popular in the treatment of worms. It must have just been milked. Useful juice of beets, pomegranate and cabbage, as well as infusion of rosehip. However, you need to understand that it is impossible to get rid of helminths with juice alone. Therefore, its use on an empty stomach is considered part of a comprehensive therapy against helminths.
Natural vegetable oils
Hemp, flaxseed and cedar oil have antiparasitic properties. They are completely safe for babies. You can moisten a piece of cotton wool in oil and apply it on the child’s anus at night. By this action, the eggs of pinworms are destroyed, which are laid by the female during the child’s sleep.
Doctors about the treatment of worms
In his televised speech, the famous doctor stated that it is possible to achieve success in the treatment of worms only with the help of modern medicine. Doctors strongly advise parents not to self -medicate and consult a specialist in a timely manner.
In this case, it is important to determine the type of worm that is attacking the baby and which medication will have the most effective effect on it. From folk remedies, a well-known doctor advised pumpkin seeds, recommending a dose of 300 grams at a time. But gnashing of teeth in dreams as a sign of helminthic invasion, experts consider idle fiction.
Prevention of helminthic diseases
To minimize the possibility of infection with parasites, preventive measures should be followed:
- make sure the child washes his hands as often as possible, especially before eating and after going to the toilet;
- do not drink raw water;
- do not eat raw meat and fish;
- wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly;
- do not allow the child to touch wild dogs and cats with his hands, and give the pet antihelminthic medication regularly;
- wash children's toys daily;
- cut short nails, where parasite eggs usually accumulate;
- adhere to personal hygiene and home hygiene;
- in the fall and spring, undergo antihelminthic prophylaxis with the whole family.
Adherence to all rules is not an absolute guarantee of protection against parasites, but it reduces the risk of infection and its serious consequences.