Dr Phil Kieran: What can we do to prevent return of worms?
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Worms are a very common condition in children.
They most frequently are found when a child complains of an itchy bottom, particularly at night, and can be seen in their poo as moving, tiny, white, thread-like things.
In some children, they cause constipation and abdominal discomfort, instead of itching, so if this is what your child reports, it would be a good idea to check the toilet, too.
Threadworms (by far the most common type in Ireland) are tiny worms that live in the gut.
During the night, the worm lays eggs at the anal opening, which is what causes the itch.
Infection is most common in children aged five to 10 and occurs equally across all groups in society, regardless of living conditions or hygiene practices.
We contract these worms by swallowing their eggs. The worms then hatch and mate, before laying eggs.
The time between swallowing the eggs and the worm maturing is about one month.
The worms themselves live for about three months. New worms can’t develop in the gut, so eggs must be swallowed to keep the infestation going.
The eggs can easily become airborne and end up on surfaces in the house. For example, shaking a duvet can cause the eggs to fall onto the bedside table.
Next thing you know, you’ve picked something up from the table and then touched your mouth, and you have worms.
This is also how a person can have worms for longer than three months, as they can continuously re-infect themselves.
Medical treatment usually consists of a single tablet available over the counter and tends to work very well.
It’s critical to treat the whole household at the same time so no one is a reservoir for reinfection and to try to prevent infection from happening again.
The best thing you can do to reduce the risk of reinfection is to be conscious of hand washing.
Most of the time, these eggs are brought to our mouths when eating or brushing our teeth.
Encouraging your grandson to wash his hands first thing in the morning, every time he uses the toilet and before meals, will help reduce the chances of infection.
Because children touch the ground and other surfaces more than adults, there will always be a chance of reinfection, but this is not serious or dangerous and is usually easy to fix.
- If you have a question for Dr Phil Kieran, please send it to parenting@examiner.ie