Pregnancy And Baby Care Toddler Illness Toddler Pinworms

• Tweet
• 

...any danger to the health and can be eliminated.

Symptoms of pinworms

One of the first signs of pinworms is your toddler constantly itching or complaining of an itch in the anus area. If your toddler has started speaking, he'll probably complain about the itchiness in the area. In certain rare instances, a child may also have an upset stomach. See also toddler rashes

Of course, in order to confirm that it is indeed pinworms, you can check the anus area at night to see if there any worms. You can also stick a transparent tape in the anus. If it is pinworms then you will find miniscule eggs stuck to the tape. Ensure you do this in the night, use a flashlight for closer inspection, preferably without waking your baby. You can then take the tape to the doctor to confirm the diagnosis.

Causes of pinworms

Pinworms are contagious. So if your toddler has pinworms, it is most likely he got the worms on his hands by touching any object handled or touched by another child with pinworms. He then put his fingers in his mouth, thereby swallowing the pinworms. It is believed that the pinworm eggs can last nearly two weeks on certain surfaces.

These swallowed eggs then travel to the large intestines, where they hatch. From the intestines, the female pinworms then journey out of the toddler's intestines to lay the eggs on the anus. It's the movements of the worms that causes severe itching and sleep disruption.

Unfortunately it's a vicious cycle. Your toddler scratches his bottom then puts his hand in the mouth at some point in time during his sleep and that causes more pinworms.

Treating toddler pinworms

If it is a mild case of pinworms, chances are it will go away in a week or so without any treatment. But if the problem persists, it could very uncomfortable and the itching could lead to other complications.

Consult your doctor about treating pinworms. Usually, doctors prescribe medication to kill the worms. Do not be surprised if the medication is prescribed to the whole family, as pinworms spread quickly.

If your toddler has been under treatment, then in one week's time, the symptoms of pinworms almost completely disappear. Even so, sometimes doctors repeat the medication in a couple of weeks to avoid relapse.

If your toddler has pinworms then in addition to taking medication for the whole family, you will also have to be more hygienic to ensure the worms don't spread from one member of the family to another. Therefore, wash your hands thoroughly before and after changing your baby's diaper. Wash all your toddler's linen, towels and washcloths in warm water. Sterilize his toys. Also constantly wash your toddler's hands and mouth. Distract your toddler when it appears he wants to itch and scratch. Keep his diaper on at all times or at least ensure he is wearing pajamas at all times, so that there is no direct contact with the worm. Keep your toddler's nails trimmed and clean them with a brush regularly, so as to dislodge any eggs stuck there.

Lastly, ensure that your toddler and indeed your family and your home is exposed to as much sunlight as possible. Open your blinds and curtains during the day. Exposed pinworm eggs don't survive too long in sunlight.

As mentioned earlier, pinworms aren't a serious condition but they can be irritating and disgusting for both you and the toddler.