Symptoms and treatment of pinworms in a child
Content
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- Ways of infection with worms
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- Enetherobiosis in children
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- Diagnosis of enterobiasis
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- Scraping for Enterobiasis
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- Helminth pyrantel
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- Piperazine with enterobiasis
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- Enterobiasis Prevention
Disturbance of sleep, enuresis, loss of appetite in a child cause anxiety of parents. However, few of them realize that they are dealing with helminthic invasion. To prevent the development of complications, one should know the main symptoms and treatment of pinworms in children.
Who are pinworms
Enterobiasis is a parasitic disease that is caused by worms of the genus Enterobius. It is very common in patients of children's age. According to statistics, the incidence in children is from 30 to 90%. Most of them are preschoolers; after 12 years, worm infestation in children occurs with such frequency as in adults.
On a note!
Pinworms are small-sized worms. The length of individuals of the male reaches 3-4 mm, female 13 mm. If we look at the pictures of pinworms in children, we can understand that these are translucent worms, elongated, roundish, whitish in color.
How does the infection occur?
The appearance of pinworms in a child is the result of neglect of the rules of hygiene. The source of the disease and the main host is man. The greatest frequency of invasion is recorded in babies in kindergartens, orphanages.A long stay in the same room, refusal to wash hands, neglect of cleanliness and the rules of wet cleaning are the main causes of the disease.
On a note!
The lack of information, which causes pinworms, inattention to children's health in the family leads to infection with worms in all households.
The mechanism of disease transmission is alimentary. Infection with worms occurs:
- in direct contact with the patient or his underwear;
- in contact with toys, household items, food;
- by inhalation and subsequent ingestion of dust containing pinworm eggs;
- upon contact with domestic animals whose wool has eggs.
Human helminths are in the intestinal lumen, do not get into the internal organs. When ingested eggs pinworms move from the esophagus to the colon. In the process of moving the larvae hatch. Food pinworms is the normal intestinal microflora. Then the young individuals survive molting, mature and mate. Males immediately die, and females at night come out of the rectum and lay eggs in the folds of the mucosa or skin of the perianal area. Having fulfilled their biological function, the females die.
Important!
During laying, pinworms secrete an acid that is irritating to the skin and mucous membranes. Helminth eggs have a sticky surface, when combing they fall on the fingers. Once under the nails, parasites can remain viable for up to 3 weeks.
And in this case, the child can repeat the infection by thrusting his hand into his mouth. If the eggs are in the environment, the disease spreads in the team. The difficulty in diagnosing children's pinworms lies in the fact that not all small patients have an invasion accompanied by characteristic signs. More than half of patients do not complain about anything, pinworms can be found by chance.
But it is precisely in children's groups that close contact, lack of control of hand washing, the appearance of toys “from home” that have not undergone the necessary treatment, pose a danger in terms of the spread of infection.
On a note!
The duration of the incubation period of pinworms in children is 4-6 weeks. This means that the symptoms of the disease will not occur immediately, but the reaction of the body, the severity of manifestations will be greater than in adults
Symptoms of pinworms in children
When observing a child, parents first of all pay attention to the change in his behavior. They may show anxiety, the desire to scratch the skin in the anus. This sign of pinworms in children is considered basic.
It is caused by the presence of severe pruritus at the time of leaving the parasites. The symptom appears at night, sometimes for several days in a row. Then a break of several weeks is possible. The resumption of anxiety and scratching is associated with renal worming, the cyclical change of generations.
The occurrence of this symptom signals the parents to inspect the child, his underwear, bedding and consult a specialist. In the feces you can find a small amount of red blood.
When viewing a photo of a baby's priests on the Internet, parents can find traces of scratching with blood, and see how pinworms look in children. Suppuration of scratches on the skin indicates the development of a secondary bacterial infection.
Severe itching leads to sleep disturbance, the child becomes restless, irritable. With a massive invasion, the child’s health worsens.The following signs of pinworms appear:
- reduced performance;
- episodes of dizziness occur;
- there are complaints of weakness, fatigue;
- child reports headaches;
- enuresis appears;
- alternating diarrhea and constipation;
- characterized by repeated urge to defecate;
- the child refuses to eat, loses weight;
- paroxysmal abdominal pain without clear localization.
Important!
Few know how dangerous pinworms are in children. Helminths adversely affect the health of the child. In the absence of timely treatment, childhood disease leads to chronic intoxication, growth retardation, development, and the formation of neuropsychiatric disorders. In girls, parasites can crawl into the genitals, causing colpitis, cystitis.
Enterobiasis leads to dysbiosis and allergization. Frequent bouts of skin reactions - a reason to check for the presence of parasites. Chronic intoxication and nutritional deficiencies cause anemia in a child. Helminths mate in the cecum and can cause appendicitis, peritonitis.
The situation of pinworm infection of a pregnant woman practically does not pose a threat to the child in her stomach, however, it is precisely at this time that it is difficult to prescribe an effective and safe treatment.
How are being tested for enterobiosis
When referring to a pediatric infectious disease disease, the child’s parents will receive complete information about the disease, will know what to do next: what tests and treatments are coming.
Diagnosis of enterobiasis is quite simple:
- The doctor will ask about the duration of the disease, clarify the presence of similar symptoms from other family members. On the Internet, parents can find what the photos of pinworms look like in children, and if they find similar parasites in their baby, inform the doctor. The specialist will pay attention to the parents' information about weight loss, violations of the child’s stool, rash, behavior changes (moody, less active, worried and trying to scratch the anus), episodes of enuresis.
- The doctor will conduct a physical examination of the child. Evaluate height, weight, skin color, examine the area of the anus, the perineum. This method does not allow to identify pinworms in a baby, but will help to suspect the disease.
- Will give directions for blood tests, urine tests for pinworms. Complete blood count will show anemia, eosinophilia. Urinalysis is informative for the development of inflammation of the bladder, the study will reveal leukocyturia, cylindruria.
- The study of feces will not allow to diagnose enterobiosis.
- Tests for enterobiasis can detect the causative agent. In childhood, they pass in two ways: Scotch test and scraping.
Scotch test (or tape test)
This is the main diagnostic method for enterobiasis infection. Perform it as follows:
- On the eve of the test, the child is washed; on the day of the material collection, any hygienic measures are prohibited.
- The study is conducted in the morning before going to the toilet.
- Scotch adhesive side gently applied to the anus of the child, then fixed on a glass slide.
- The material for the study is referred to a clinic or private laboratory within 2 hours after collection.
- The specialist places a glass slide under a microscope without staining.
On a note!
In the presence of the enterobiosis clinic, a single identification of pinworm eggs indicates a disease. In the absence of a parasite in the material on the background of the symptoms of invasion, the study is repeated up to 3-5 times with an interval of 3 days.
Scraping for Enterobiasis
Material sampling is performed in the laboratory. Preparation for the study has no fundamental differences from the scotch test. The nurse asks parents to push the buttocks to the child and passes it over the perianal folds with a cotton swab dipped in glycerin or with a special probe. The material is placed on a glass slide and transferred to a laboratory doctor.
If pinworm eggs are detected in the preparation, the diagnosis is enterobiasis.
On a note!
The estimated cost of the study is 300-450 rubles, depending on the pricing policy of the laboratory and the region.
Treatment of pinworms in children
When a disease is detected, the doctor will prescribe special preparations for enterobiosis to the child. The fight with this helminth does not take much time, taking medicines allows you to remove pinworms within a month.
Why is it necessary to treat enterobiosis
Some parents ask about whether it is possible to cope with worms without medications, whether worms can go out by themselves and not bother the baby again. This question should be asked to a specialist. The doctor will explain that long-term parasitic intoxication negatively affects the health and development of the child:
- disrupted growth and development;
- the child can not concentrate on the game, not getting enough sleep;
- irritability, neurotic reactions are formed;
- the child is ridiculed by other children because of constant attempts to scratch an itchy place.
It is enough to compare these symptoms with the undesirable effects of a properly prescribed treatment in order to make a decision in favor of health.
Principles of drug treatment
Drug therapy of helminthiasis in children is organized as follows:
- To achieve the effect of treatment, a single dose of the drug is recommended.
- For children up to 3 years old, it is recommended to use funds in the form of a suspension, and later it is possible to switch to tablets.
- When choosing how to treat pinworms in children, one should pay attention to the permissible body weight and the age of the child in the instructions for the preparation.
- Do not buy the first available remedy for worms: it may not be suitable for children or this type of pathogen.
- It is necessary to carefully consider the recommendations in the abstract, if you have questions, clarify with the doctor information about the child's diet, the need to clean the intestines with laxatives during treatment.
- After enterobiosis therapy, enterobiosis tests are performed. Found pinworm eggs in children indicates the need for re-treatment, a negative result will indicate getting rid of parasites.
- Do not conduct prophylactic treatment without confirming the diagnosis.
Preparations for the treatment of pinworms
To combat enterobiasis in a child, the following means are permitted:
- Pyrantel;
- Vermox;
- Nemozol;
- Piperazine.
These medicines are sold at a pharmacy by prescription. In the reviews, parents of babies rate these drugs as effective.
Pyrantel
This is one of the cheapest and well-known drugs. It is approved for use in infants up to a year. The minimum weight of the child for the appointment of therapy - 12 kg. It comes in the form of tablets for children over 6 years old and suspensions for younger children.
Pyrantel take one time. For the treatment of a child of 1 year old - 6 years, 125 mg of the drug in suspension will suffice, then the dosage is recommended as follows: 125 mg for every 10 kg of mass.
On a note!
A more expensive version of the Pirantel produced under the name Gelmintoks.
Vermox
The drug has an effect on the metabolism of parasites. It is recommended for appointment from the age of three, the form of release - tablets. Vermoxis is drunk once at a dosage of 100 mg, a repeat of the course is recommended only when enterobiosis is detected 3 weeks after treatment.
Important!
This tool requires a diet: during treatment should abandon fatty foods.
Nemozol
The drug is approved for use from the age of two. It affects the metabolism of pinworms.Nemozol drink once together with food in the form of suspension or tablets. A single dosage is 400 mg.
Piperazine
The drug affects the muscles of pinworms. Its use is allowed in children from 3 years.
The course of treatment of enterobiasis is 5 days; at this time, piperazine is drunk twice a day, with meals. The daily dosage for treatment for pinworms in children is calculated by age:
- in 3 years - 500 mg;
- from 4 to 5 years up to 1000 mg;
- from 6 to 9 years old - 1500 mg;
- from 9 to 12 years old - 1900 mg;
- from 12 to 3000 mg.
Important!
The most frequent side effects of treatment for pinworms in children include: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness. These symptoms quickly disappear and are not a basis for refusing therapy.
How to deal with pinworms folk remedies
Alternative medicine is perceived by many as something harmless but effective. And sometimes parents try to remove pinworms from a child at home using non-drug methods. The most common of them include enemas with various solutions, decoctions or infusions and the use of pumpkin seeds inside, means in liquid form.
In folk medicine, decoctions of wormwood, tansy, yarrow are popular. However, these herbs are prohibited for use in children under 12 years.Treatment of enterobiasis with brine also does not help get rid of pinworms. This remedy will only work as a laxative.
Apply enemas with herbs, garlic, soda should be only after the recommendations of the doctor and with great care not to damage the intestines of the child.
Among the permitted means of alternative medicine at home is the use of pumpkin seeds. This delicacy will gently cleanse the intestines and excrete parasites, but to cure the baby alone will not work.
Important!
Parents of the child should understand that any folk remedies can only be used to help drug therapy. And instead of finding out what the pinworms do not like, you should listen to the advice of the doctor and treat the child with drugs with proven effectiveness.
Disease prevention
Good hygiene will help prevent infection and spread of helminthic invasion. To protect the child from pinworms, parents must take control of the execution.
Preventive measures include:
- Regular washing of hands with soap for 30 seconds in children and adults.
- Cutting nails in the hands of a child.
- Eating only pure fruits and vegetables (washed with soap and running water).
- When pinworms are detected in one of the family members, all household members undergo compulsory treatment under the supervision of a physician. Independently prescribe and give the child medication for worms is prohibited.
- Parents should follow a regular change of underwear and bed linen in a child. If the baby has already been treated for pinworms, you should thoroughly wash their personal items and iron them with a hot iron.
- To prevent the spread of pinworm eggs on pet hair, do not forget about the need to regularly bathe pets.
- It is necessary to carry out regular wet cleaning of the premises, treat the apartment with washing soap and chlorine-containing agents.
- If you identify cases at home or in the children's team, general cleaning is carried out with the treatment of objects, walls, furniture and toys with chlorine-containing preparations.
- All persons in children's institutions regularly undergo tests for enterobiasis. When pinworms are detected, employees are suspended from work until the completion of treatment measures.
You should not expect that the disease will pass on its own, without having time to harm the baby.Child's disease enterobiasis requires medical treatment. To prevent infection should follow the rules of hygiene.
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