One thing nobody tells you before you become a parent is that one day you’re probably going to have to get your kids – scratch that, the entire household – treated for worms.
Specifically threadworms, which – I didn’t realise until recently – is quite a common problem for young ’uns.
My eldest has been back to school just over a week and we’ve already had the dreaded email that worms is doing the rounds.
Threadwords – or pinworms, as they’re sometimes known – are tiny white worms that can be found in your child’s poo or around their anus. They look like little bits of thin thread, hence the name, and can be up to 1cm long.
They spread when kids swallow the tiny eggs they lay, which can be found on other children’s hands, fingernails and things that get touched a lot (think school desks, sandboxes or toys), according to KidsHealth.
When the eggs make their way through the digestive system, they hatch and then a couple of months later the adult female worms lay eggs on the skin around the anus, which can make it very itchy.
Kids then scratch their bottoms, get more eggs on their nails and hands, spread the eggs around, and the cycle repeats itself.
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According to the NHS, the worms usually come out at night while your child is sleeping.
As a result, parents are encouraged to use a torch to check their kid’s bottom while they are asleep – especially if you’re not able to inspect their poo properly for signs of the parasite.
Signs of worms include:
- extreme itching around the anus or vagina, particularly at night;
- irritability and waking up during the night;
- weight loss;
- wetting the bed;
- mild tummy pain;
- irritated skin around the anus.
How to treat worms in children
The good news is you don’t usually have to go to the doctor’s about worms. Pharmacists can treat the issue, usually with mebendazole.
Everyone in the household over two years old will need to take it, even if you don’t think you have worms. (If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, let the pharmacist know.)
Unfortunately the medicine kills the worms, but not the eggs (which annoyingly can live for up to a fortnight outside the body).
So, in addition to everyone taking medicine, you’ll need to adopt a load of extra hygiene measures in your daily life and home to truly get rid of them.
- regularly washing your hands, scrubbing nails (get a nail brush as this will keep them nice and clean) and keeping nails short,
- encouraging your kids to wash hands regularly and keep their hands out of their mouths,
- showering every morning,
- rinsing toothbrushes before using them,
- washing bedding, towels and toys on a hot wash (60C) for several days after treatment,
- disinfecting kitchen and bathroom surfaces,
- hoovering regularly and dusting with a damp cloth,
- making sure everyone wears underwear at night and changes it in the morning.
The NHS advises against shaking clothing or bedding (as this can, rather grimly, disperse the eggs around your house), sharing towels or flannels, and biting nails or sucking thumbs and fingers.
The health service adds that kids with worms can still go to nursery or school.
