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Worms in children also known in medicine as parasites are organisms that live and manifest in the intestine of both adults and children. Some of these little animals that decide to live in other people’s bellies can be seen with the naked eye, as is the case of the well-known roundworms.
There are the little animals that cannot be easily seen that are known as parasitic protozoa, which is the case of giardia. The transmission of both occurs through the ingestion of the parasite’s eggs , which can happen through poorly washed foods that contain a soil residue or even by the simple fact that the child puts his dirty hand after playing in his mouth. For this reason, you will rarely hear about worms in children under 6 months, who have little contact with the ground and therefore do not have contact with risk factors. Another picture that is out of the risk of worms in children, is that of those who feed through exclusive breastfeeding, as they are not at risk of eating contaminated food.
One of the most known worms in children and with the highest number of occurrences, is the roundworm. This pet can measure up to 40 cm inside a small tummy, but precisely inside the intestine. The roundworm develops and feeds through the child’s body nutrients, which ends up causing serious health problems, such as:
- Growth retardation
- Intestinal obstruction (which makes the child’s belly swollen)
- Alteration of the child’s mood and behavior
Worms in children do not always show signs and are only discovered by performing a specific stool test , but when they do occur they can happen in a variety of ways, such as:
- Frequent abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Sickness
- Change in appetite (can either increase or decrease)
- Change in weight
- Indisposition
Another parasite not so common nowadays, but which can still occur is what causes the well-known “yellowing” , this worm ends up sucking blood from the child’s intestine, sucking all the child’s nutrients, causing a lack of iron, proteins and vitamins leaving the child anemic. Yellowing can leave the child with heart and lung problems and also affect the child’s growth and development . This type of worm usually infects the child through skin contact, usually when stepping on contaminated sites.
How to Treat Children with Worms?
There is an extensive list of remedies for worms, but they should be prescribed and prescribed by the pediatrician . Through exams or even the symptoms, the doctor will know what type of worms it is and what dosage to be taken by the child. It is advisable that the stool test is done frequently, obviously being requested by the pediatrician responsible for the child and when he deems it necessary.
How to Avoid Worms in Children?
Good hygiene is essential to keep worms and all kinds of parasites away, not only from children, but from the whole family. Pets must also be properly dewormed so that they do not spread through the feces, people who have direct contact with them, so talk to a veterinarian.
The other precautions that should be followed routinely are:
- Always wash your hands before meals and after using the bathroom
- Drink only potable, filtered or boiled water.
- Wash food, especially greens, vegetables and fruits.
- Cook food well, especially pork.
- Keep the residence and the place where children play always clean
Avoid walking barefoot and putting your hands in your mouth even though it is a very difficult task when the child is in the oral phase or when he has the habit of biting nails, but care must be taken to avoid contamination and thus avoid worms in children .
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My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
