Pinworms in children: symptoms and treatment

Small parasites can greatly complicate the life of a child. Most often, problems in children arise from pinworm infection, which can happen at any time, at any place and at any age. We will tell in this article how to recognize the presence of such parasites in a baby, how to treat it and how to prevent re-infection.

Pinworms are common parasites belonging to the class of roundworms. They have a rounded elongated shape, with a point at the ends of their body. The tail of the males is turned down toward the abdomen, while in females it is as sharp as a peak. Worms are white or grayish in color. The length can reach quite impressive sizes - up to 12 mm. True, only female pinworms can boast of such dimensions, males are significantly smaller - from 2 to 4.5 mm.

It is transmitted through pinworm eggs, which the child can swallow with dirty hands, with unwashed or insufficiently well washed fruits and vegetables. The life cycle of parasites is quite large by parasitic standards - about 30 days. During this period, pinworms do not waste time. After the eggs enter the body of the child, their journey begins to the destination - the thin intestine. Due to the strong shell, the eggs practically do not experience the aggressive effects of gastric juice, passing through the stomach.

Larvae appear in the small intestine of eggs. They immediately stick their mouth to the intestinal wall and begin to actively feed on everything that comes in, including blood. Males do not live long - after fertilization of females, they die, and females with eggs fall below - in the large intestine. From there, migration to the rectum occurs.

To lay eggs, the female needs to get out, which she does, usually at night. After the eggs are laid, the adult dies. In the small folds of the anus, the eggs quickly develop and mature, and now they are again ready to go on another journey through the human body. And the pinworms are very impressive for pinworms - each female can lay up to 19 thousand eggs!

At this stage, there is not only the infection of others, but also self-infection. The child combs the itchy ass, the eggs fall under the nails, and from there into the mouth, and into common toys, and dishes.

This explains why the incidence of such parasites in the southern solar regions is much lower than in the northern regions, where the sun is a rare guest.

Pinworms cause a disease in a child, which is called enterobiasis in medicine. The habitat of the parasite has recently been considered the cause of such an acute condition as appendicitis. The fact is that the appendix (appendix of the cecum) is really “chosen” by these worms, and surgeons who perform an operation to remove an inflamed appendix are often found inside this amputated appendix of parasites.However, medicine has so far failed to find a direct and undoubted connection between pinworms and the development of appendicitis.

Symptoms of enterobiasis in some children can be quite pronounced immediately after the end of the incubation period (from 3 to 5-6 weeks), and can be almost imperceptible. In any case, the problem of pinworms needs the active participation of parents and doctors in order to heal the child and prevent the further spread of the parasites.

Most often pinworms settle in the body of children attending kindergartens and schools. In the conditions of a large children's team, where common toys and dishes, eggs of worms spread like no other fast.

Very rarely pinworms are distributed with water, although this kind of transmission takes place.

Newborns can get pinworms from their mother. Although the parasites that a mother can get sick while carrying a child do not get to the fetus in any way. Infection occurs directly during childbirth, if the woman has not treated the enterobiasis before this important event. In any case, only one source of infection is a person. But he also has “helpers” - flies and cockroaches that spread eggs that have got to house dust or furniture items of pinworms further, for example, by infecting food.

Despite the apparent ease of treatment of parasites, enterobiosis can have quite serious consequences for the health of the baby. So, with long-term infection, repeated re-infection with pinworm eggs, eosinophilic enterocolitis may develop - a disease that affects the intestines. The disease develops due to the fact that the child develops a high sensitivity to pinworm antigens. Damaged intestines can no longer prevent the penetration of these allergens into the blood, begins a strong allergy.

In girls, even newborns, parasitic roundworms can cause vulvovaginitis. A strong inflammatory process of the external and internal genital organs occurs due to the fact that some females crawl into the vagina with eggs. Also, worms can enter the urinary tract, causing painful inflammation. For girls, this “neighborhood” is doubly dangerous, because they have pinworms can also cause the onset of serious gynecological consequences - inflammation of the ovaries or fallopian tubes.

That is why children with protracted enterobiasis become nervous, irritable, tearful, capricious, sleep and appetite are disturbed. For a small child, pinworms are additionally dangerous by the fact that crumbs without a back thought brush their butt, and then rub their eyes with these hands and scratch the nose. For experienced infectious disease specialists, it is not surprising that a baby has worms even in the eyes, sinuses and lungs. Such pathologies are quite difficult to heal, sometimes surgery is required.

During the incubation period, it is not possible to notice signs of pinworm presence in the body. The first and most characteristic feature appears already at the final stage of the worms life cycle - when laying eggs. Females secrete a special acid that causes severe, intolerable itching in the anus.

Itching sensations intensify in the evening, and can also torment a child at night. If the baby began to worry, constantly trying to scratch the ass, this is a reason to examine the anus carefully.It looks irritated, reddened, if you look closely, you can see small semi-oval irregular shaped pinworm eggs. If the scratching is strong, then the accession of a secondary bacterial infection is not excluded.

Enterobiasis in infants is somewhat more difficult to notice, because the area around the priests crumbs are not so rare, and for other reasons - diaper rash, contact dermatosis. However, the anxiety of the infant, who is still unable to adequately respond to itching and scratching what itches, will be much stronger than with contact dermatosis. It will also increase in the evening and at night.

Often, children develop additional symptoms - abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. They will not be pronounced, as in acute infection, rather such signs are lethargic and latent non-permanent. In other words, diarrhea can be replaced by constipation, and vomiting will not be so frequent. But notice attentive parents will be able to.

Roundworm toxins can affect the nervous system. But this is possible only with extensive worm infestation, a small number of parasites are not able to cause sleep disturbances, irritability, headaches, tearfulness. If such a condition is accompanied by evening scratching of the priests, you need to run to the doctor as soon as possible - the number of pinworms in the body is large.

However, in the daytime a child in such a situation will also go to the toilet for a small need much more often, and the volume of urine will be small.

Abundant white and cream discharge with an unpleasant odor from the genital organs of girls may indicate the beginning inflammatory process of the reproductive system. Children prone to allergies may begin to suffer from allergic attacks, eczema and dermatitis. Manifestations of such a parasitic allergy will be different, depending on how the pinworm antigen is perceived by the baby’s immunity. Most often it is a skin rash, but there is also an allergic cough, runny nose and even inflammation of the mucous eyes - allergic conjunctivitis.

A child with enterobiasis weakens immunity. If at this moment to make a reactogenic vaccination, for example, DTP, then the reaction to it will be more vigorous - with a temperature, manifestations of an allergic nature.

If the parents suspect that the child has pinworms and may have already started enterobiasis, they should go to the pediatrician for an appointment as soon as possible. A pediatrician may prescribe a consultation with an infectious disease specialist if he suggests an extensive worm infestation. The main analysis that allows to establish the presence of pinworms is scraping perianal folds. It is not always possible to find the eggs of these worms in the baby’s feces, since pinworms lay them outside the rectum.

The procedure for scraping is not painful and unpleasant. The main thing is to bring the child to scraping without prior morning washing. I woke up and went. For the material intake, a small adhesive tape is used, on which surely pinworm eggs will remain, if there are parasites in the body.

If the pinworms are found by the results of the scraping, the doctor decides on the treatment. If the eggs of roundworms could not be found, this does not mean that there are no worms. The fact is that pinworms have the ability to set aside offspring not nightly, and it is quite possible that the scraping fence fell on such a “non-productive” night.

Additionally, the pediatrician will prescribe a complete blood count.With a parasitic infection, it is very likely that a greatly increased number of eosinophils will be detected. A pediatrician, depending on additional symptoms, may prescribe advice from other specialists. In case of extensive invasion of a little girl, consultation of a pediatric gynecologist may be required, and in case of abdominal distension and diarrhea, consultation of a gastroenterologist.

After the fact of the presence of pinworms is beyond doubt, all possible complications are weighed, the pediatrician or infectious diseases specialist prescribe a treatment regimen.

Treatment of enterobiasis always begins with the selection of an anthelmintic drug for the child. Many of these drugs are quite strong and toxic, and therefore parents should understand that the parasite cure for children and the analogous medicine for adults are not the same thing. To choose the drug and appoint the dosage should be exclusively a doctor.

Children from six months to a year and a little older usually choose anthelmintic agent more difficult. It is necessary that the medicine was poisonous for parasites, but does not poison the body of the toddler himself. In pediatric practice, most commonly used tools such as "Pirantel" and "Nemotsid."

The drug exists in a very convenient for kids form of release - in suspension. The active substance of the same name causes neuromuscular blockade in parasites. It affects both adult worms and young individuals. A single dose for babies is calculated based on the weight of the child - 10 mg of suspension per kilogram of the weight of the crumbs. Children up to six months, if necessary, means are also prescribed, but it should be given with great care, the dosage is calculated by the doctor individually. A single dose is usually sufficient. For children 5-6 years old, the drug can be given in tablet form.

This drug also contains pyrantel, but is a more affordable counterpart. Available in two forms - tablets and suspension. It is clear that for young children the second form is most preferable. Means the same as the previous drug, immobilizing parasites. Individuals are bred with feces.

Children over 12 years old can take Nemocid tablets at a dosage of no more than three. Usually it is enough to take a single dose to get rid of worms. The dose of the suspension for babies is calculated based on the weight of the child - 10 mg per kilogram of weight. The drug must be taken in the same dosage again, three weeks after the first dose. Among the unpleasant moments - side effects that are quite common in childhood after taking Nemocide include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and headaches.

This is a softer and sparing drug. It causes paralysis in parasites, but does not kill them at all, and therefore individuals simply do not have time to release toxins into the child’s body, which are produced during death. That is why "Piperazin" is considered the most preferred means of treatment of pinworms in children.

However, it should be noted that the tool is available only in tablets. Drinking medicine to get rid of pinworms is necessary in a strict age dosage (it is for each age specified in the instructions for use) for 5 days. A week later, the course is completely repeated.

This drug is available in tablets. The active substance - mebendazole - prevents pinworms from fully feeding, disrupting the process of glucose absorption by them. Deprived of food, the worms rather quickly (in 2-3 days) die from exhaustion. The drug does not have a pronounced negative effect on the body, and therefore it is often used not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of helminthic invasions.

Babies from two to five years old when given treatment are given a quarter pill once. Then after two weeks again give the same dose of the drug, and after two weeks - another one.The same scheme, but a different dosage - half a tablet - is used for children from five to ten years. Older children and adolescents are given a whole pill along the same lines.

This drug kills pinworms in a complex way - paralyzing them and depriving their diet of glucose. This medicine is one of the most prescribed in pediatric practice. Nemozol is considered one of the most effective anthelmintic drugs. Available in tablets and suspensions.

Manufacturers advise to take a suspension together with fatty food, so the active substance - Albenidazole - is absorbed faster. Children from one to two years old are recommended a single dose in the amount of 1 dessert spoonful of suspension. Children from 2 years old - one time give 20 ml of the drug. Tablets can theoretically be given to children from 3 years. Single dose - 1 tablet.

If you really do not want to give your child pills and suspensions, then with the permission of the doctor you can use drugs that are available in the form of rectal suppositories. This is not the cheapest and most economical treatment option, but the effectiveness of candles is almost the same as medicines that need to be taken orally.

For children from six years old, you can use the candles "Nigella Sativa", "Worm". "Worm" can be bought for children who have already turned 2 years old. The candle is introduced into the rectum once in the evening before bedtime, after which it is recommended to repeat the course after three weeks.

Take the anthelmintic agent should the whole family. Every household, otherwise it will be difficult enough to stop the infection and re-infection. After the first course, you must pass the tests and make a new scraping on the pinworm eggs. This is usually recommended after 2-3 weeks. Regardless of the results of the analysis, a single dose of treatment or treatment should be repeated (exactly the same pattern as it was assigned for the first time).

After a certain medication is prescribed, the doctor will recommend the whole family to change the approach to hygiene and sanitation. Without this, treatment may not be successful, and the parasites will return rather quickly. Necessary activities:

• The child and all members of his family should wash their hands after each use of the toilet.to avoid the spread of pinworm eggs. Wash your hands with warm water and soap.
• From the first day of active treatment of enterobiosis, you will need to cut your child’s nails shortly. and the rest of the household, because under the nails are often pinworm eggs hiding and accumulating.
• The most difficult thing is to make sure that the child does not comb the itchy place.. Underwear, in particular, the child needs to change the panties several times a day, and bedding - every two days. All clothes and underwear should be washed in hot water with an additional rinse and always iron carefully.
• At the stage of recovery after taking the drugs for a week or two, they continue to lubricate the anus with zinc ointment and make sure that the child is wearing panties with elastics on the hips. This will prevent the possible distribution of the surviving or re-formed pinworm eggs. Repeated courses of treatment are equally important for all family members, it is desirable for everyone to undergo them.

Folk remedies with enterobiasis are many and varied. Traditional medicine over the centuries has accumulated hundreds of recipes.

First, folk remedies always imply a long enough treatment, because pinworms will not die from a single dose of garlic or lemon. While modern medicine is ready to offer a cure almost in one day. This is safer, because the parasites in the intestines are much less time than in the treatment of grandmother's recipes, and, therefore, they manage to inflict less damage.

Secondly, it is difficult to remove pinworms at home without the use of pharmacy drugs, there is always the risk of re-infection. That is why it is better to entrust the health of the child to professional doctors. The only thing that is not forbidden to apply at home - so this decoction of herbs (chamomile, mint), which can flush the child to relieve itching in the anus. But such a people's council should harmoniously complement the traditional treatment prescribed by the doctor.

Prevention consists in observance of hygienic rules and requirements. Parents should teach the child to wash their hands properly, and they should do this as early as possible. It should be washed with running water, with soap, in water to keep at least 15-20 seconds.

It is important to ensure that vegetables and fruits are thoroughly washed before they reach the table for the baby.

Since domestic cats and dogs can carry pinworm eggs on their wool, you will definitely need to bathe them with the use of veterinary shampoo.

How to treat pinworms in children, see the following video.

About nutrition against worms, see the following video.