Threadworms

Most children are likely to get threadworms sometime during their life, especially between 5 and 14 years of age yet many parents still feel uncomfortable admitting that their child is infected. If your children have threadworms it doesn't mean you are unhealthy or unclean. Threadworms aren't a sign of poor parenting either - anyone can get them!

Threadworms occur more often in children than adults because children play closely together and the eggs are passed from one child to another. A child can get eggs on their hands by picking them up from clothing, toilet seats, towels, floors or toys etc. Then when they put their hands in or near their mouth they can swallow the eggs which then travel down into the intestines where they grow and mature. The worms then move down the intestine and out the anus where they lay more eggs. The eggs can then be transferred onto fingers, pyjamas, underwear or bed linen and so the cycle of passing eggs from one person to another begins again.

Symptoms

The first sign of infection is usually 'an itchy bottom', especially at night. Children will complain of itching around their anus. The itching typically occurs at night as this is when the female worms leave the anus and lay their eggs on the surrounding skin. The glue that sticks the eggs to the skin causes the itch. It irritates the area and causes the child to scratch.

You may also see worms in a child's faeces (poos) or around the anal area. The best time to look for worms is at night when the child is asleep. Use a torch to look around the anal area. Threadworms look like short pieces of white cotton, about 5 to 10mm long. However not all children will complain of feeling itchy. If your child is irritable and not sleeping well then threadworms could be the cause. Some children have no symptoms.

Threadworm Symptoms...

Itchy bottom, especially at night
Restlessness and/or sleep disturbances e.g. nightmares or finding it hard to get to sleep
Irritability
Finding it hard to concentrate
Sometimes there are no symptoms

Treatment

Threadworms are easily treated. Usually the whole family should be treated - this includes parents and other adults who live in the home even if they don't have any symptoms. Worm medicines are available as liquids and tablets, chewable tablets and chocolate. Your pharmacist can help you choose a medicine that will suit everyone in your family. Some medicines need to be taken only once while others have to be repeated in 2-4 weeks. This is also something your pharmacist will advise you on.

Pregnant women, children less than 6 months of age and people with heart, kidney or liver disease should only be treated on the advice of a doctor. It may be best to wait until these people have clear signs of infection before treating.

To help prevent re-infection: * Everyone should have a bath or shower before taking the medicine. The best idea may be to have a bath or shower at night and take the medicine before going to bed then have a bath or shower again in the morning to remove any eggs that may have been laid during the night.

Wash all bed sheets, pyjamas or nighties, towels and underwear in hot water as the eggs can stick to these.
Make sure everyone washes their hands after using the toilet and before preparing or eating food.
Keep fingernails short and clean. Use a nailbrush to clean under nails to remove any eggs. Discourage nail biting and thumb sucking to avoid children having their fingers in their mouths.
Clean bedroom and toilet floors regularly by vacuuming or damp mopping to remove eggs. Regular cleaning of toilets is also important.

Animals and threadworms

Threadworms cannot be picked up from animals. Animals are not infected by threadworms, they only infect people.