Do you know what pinworms are?

[calydu]

Does your child squirm around it bed, cries or whines like they can't get comfortable, complain of a belly ache, pull at their panites or diaper, and seems to constantly scratch their bottom?  Your child may have pinworms. 

They are transported by touch.  A child may touch something that has pinworm eggs on it.  They then touch other things and transfer them or they put their fingers in their mouth.  The eggs are swallowed and hatch in the upper intestine.  The samll worms then migrate down until they get to the rectum.  At night, when it is dark and the child is not moving.  The worms come out of the rectum and lay their eggs on the skin.  The worms will then go back in, the child will scratch their bottom....and it starts all over again.  Anyone who shakes out their lines can even inhale the eggs.  The eggs can survive outside of the host ofr up to 2 weeks.  You may fine the very small, thin white/yellow worms on their linen, clothes, or legs.

This is where the above problems come from.  The worms are too small to feel moving around in the intestines but there are "spasms" because they are a foreign object that the body is reacting to.  The itching can b unbearable.  Some children scratch so hard that they break the skin open and cause bleeding which is then irritated and contaminated by the urine.  Even a clean child can get them because the eggs can be picked up from anywhere.

There are 3 ways to look for the worms.  When the child has a bowel movement, they will be on the outside or just sticking out a little bit.  Once they hit light and air they burrow into the stool, so you can't wait to look at it.  The next step is to put your child to bed with a thick towel under them and nothing on from the waist down...for babies maybe a garbage bag under the towel.  Wait until the child is sound asleep and a little time has passed.  Take a flash light and a few pieces of transparent tape.  Wait until you have the child rectum in view and turn the flashlight on.  You should see any worms that have come out to lay the eggs.  Take the tape and place it against the skin of the rectum and around it.  DO NOT PRESS OR LEAVE TAPE ON BECAUSE IT WILL PULL AWAY THE SKIN AND/OR IRRITATE IT!  Place another piece of tape sticky sides against each other.  Take this to your Dr. and they will be able the eggs with a microscope.

The worms can be treated easily.  The Dr. will either prescribe mebendazole (brand name: Vermox) or pyrantel (brand names: Pin-X, Pin-Rid). About 2 weeks later, a second tablet is taken.   Due to how easy they are to contract and live so long away from the host, the whole household should be treated.
Linens should be washed with hot water.  Everyones nails should be cleaned and trimmed.

People who bite their nails or constantly put their fingers in their mouth are prone to get them and often.  It is not a sign of being "dirty".

How to prevent pinworm infections and reinfections:

• Make sure your child washes his or her hands before a meal and after using the restroom.
• Keep your child's fingernails trimmed.
• Discourage your child from nail-biting and scratching their anal area.
• Be sure your child changes into a clean pair of underwear each day.
• Have your child bathe in the morning to reduce egg contamination.
• Open bedroom blinds and curtains during the day. Eggs are sensitive to sunlight.
• After each treatment, change your child's night clothes, underwear and bedding.

(per familydr.org)

[sgr123]

Mar. 3, 2007 at 2:12 PM Great tips. I knew what they were and the signs and symptoms. I never knew how easily the were transmitted. Thanks for the info..

[susan133]

Mar. 3, 2007 at 2:22 PM You can get parasites just by touching dirt in your garden. Believe it or not you c an also get cancer from parasites like pin worms or ring worm, or worms from your cat. Most people don't knew how easily they an get parasites from their pets. Dogs and cats alike can suffer many times from just getting fleas, which carry even smaller parasites that can invade a human being and more often than you think.  There are parasites in meat also. Chickens and beef carry the worst strains of parasites causing Alzheimer and such brain diseases. <I know for my Uncle got sick from encountering such in his palce of work and died from brian cancer as the results of a parasite.> And my mother also died after being bitten by a bug after being exposed to a lime tick, more than likely carrying a parasite for even the Dr's thought it was strange and was treating her for a bite, misdiagnosing her cancer as a results.> But many times cancer can be brought on by parasites laying their eggs inside you, then the Dr try to cut it out and casing the bugs to get into the blood stream. Its what happens and its very seldom ever what your told, but its true. Parasites <insects> can cause a means for bugs to invade your body and kill you slow over time. gardening  and animals being where most people get parasites from. So be very careful when around a garden working in the dirt and always wash your hands after weeding and such, and after touching animals, for they can carry very microscopic insects that can invade a human beings blood stream and cause many sicknesses.

[brandinwooten]

Mar. 3, 2007 at 3:32 PM I've never heard of that before. Thanks for sharing the info. At least if I run into this problem in the future, I'm more likely to know what it is!

[mommy5]

Mar. 3, 2007 at 3:57 PM Thanks for sharing.

[LuAnnB]

Mar. 3, 2007 at 4:36 PM I work with an adult population who have MR/DD.  Sometimes (depending on their level of physical ability) their hygenic practices could...use a little work.  Fortunately for these times, there is a bountiful supply of plastic/latex gloves.

[Ange0305]

Mar. 3, 2007 at 4:57 PM Wow I have never heard of this before.Thanks for the heads up.

[1974gail]

Mar. 3, 2007 at 5:20 PM Thank you for telling me I wasn't aware of pinworms.

[smilingattitude]

Mar. 4, 2007 at 10:39 AM Good tip, I had never heard of such a thing

[eku_mommy]

Mar. 4, 2007 at 11:19 AM We were studiny those in my Microbiology class. They are extremly easy to catch. As a matter of fact there was a picture in my micro book of two small children sitting on a rock holding hands and the boy had pin worms..in which he transmitted them to the little girl.

[mamazisser]

Mar. 4, 2007 at 10:14 PM Well looks like I have some investagating to do because Ethan has been scratching him but alot lately I thought is was dry skin still hope it is. I will do the tape thing and take it to work and  and look under the microscope and see what I see.Thanks for posting this maybe this is why he is not wanting to go to bed either. Yet he sleeps during the day fine and once he finally gets to sleep he sleeps sound.Who knows but this is very easy for me to look into. Thanks again.