The Wiggly Truth - Worms in Kids 🪱

The most common type of worm infecting children is the threadworm (or you may have heard them called pinworms). Threadworms are tiny, white, thread-like parasites about 8-13mm long. 

Worms are especially common in children 4-11 years of age. 

Worms are not harmful to your little ones, and they are easily treatable to eradicate from your whole household. 

NOTE that people cannot catch threadworms from household animals, phew! 😅

Here is a bit of the information that probably makes us feel a bit yucky… 

🪱 Our little ones contract threadworms when they accidentally get worm eggs on their hands and swallow them. This can happen as a result of touching toys, dust or bed linen or people that are infected, and then putting their hands in their mouths or biting their nails. Understanding this, paints a picture as to why worms are so common throughout certain developmental stages.

🪱 Once the worm eggs are swallowed, they make their way into the gastrointestinal tract, and hatch in the small intestine and lay more eggs around the anus → causing the itch!

🪱 If children have scratched their bottom due to the itch, and touch items around the house, they can be easily spread to other family members.  

Symptoms 

〰️ Itch around the bottom and/or vagina (often more prominent at night)
〰️ Restlessness 
〰️ A red and inflamed anus
〰️ Impaired sleep
〰️ Reduced appetite 

You may be able to see threadworms moving around your child’s anus at night. Use a torch, separate the buttocks and look around the anus and vagina for girls. . 

Treatment 

Good news …. Threadworms are generally easy to treat in children. 

〰️ You can access over the counter medication from a pharmacist, who will advise you through the process. It is important to follow any directions the pharmacist gives you to ensure that the threadworms are completely eradicated from the system.

〰️ Everyone in the household should be treated with the over the counter medication to stop any further spread between family members.

〰️ If you know that your child has worms, it is advised to keep your child home from school/childcare to help contain further spread amongst kids.

When to see a doctor 

🩺 If you have used active medication treatment as per the guidance of a pharmacist and have not seen any improvement in symptoms for your little one
🩺 If you see that your child has passed a large appearing worm
🩺 If your child has tummy pain, low energy, nausea or vomiting, or if you have any other concerns

Prevention of worms (What we really all want to know) 

🧼 Washing hands thoroughly after using the toilet and before touching or eating food💅🏻 Maintain short fingernails
🎓 Educate and encourage (age appropriately - this can be tricky!) your child not to scratch their bottom or put their hands in their mouths
💊 If someone in the family has worms, treat the entire household with antiparasitic medication
🫧 If someone in your household has worms, wash bedding and clothes everyday in hot soapy water (and continue this for a few days after treatment has finished)
🚽 Clean toilet seats (don’t forget the potty) regularly
🚿 Baths and showers frequently, morning is the best time of day to remove eggs after a sleep
🧹 Vacuum often
🧽 Clean high touch surfaces around the home frequently
⚠️ Try to discourage children from eating food that has dropped on the floor 

Is ringworm and threadworm the same thing? 

⚡ Fun fact - Ringworm is actually not a worm at all, it is a fungus that needs to be treated with anti-fungal medications. 

Keep calm, treat the whole family, clean and those wiggly unwelcome guests will pack their (microscopic) bags in no time 👋🏻

As always, information on this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult your GP for information specific to your child.

References:

https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/worms/

https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/worms