What is parasitic infection in children? When six-year-old Johnny moaned about his stomachache, Emily thought he was making excuses for not going to school. Johnny came back from school but he was still complaining about his stomach pain. Emily had reason to worry when she saw that Johnny hadn’t eaten his favorite PB&J sandwich in his lunch bag. The doctor’s night observation showed that Johnny had worms in his intestines. Intestinal worms are common in children and can spread the infection quickly. Therefore, infected children will soon show symptoms. This article from the department Child health And diseasesDr. Salam explains the ways children can be infected with parasitic infections and how to recognize the symptoms.
What is a parasitic infection?
Parasitic infection is a process that involves the use of medication to eliminate intestinal worm infestation. The goal of treatment is to eliminate worms and any infection that causes discomfort to the patient. Children’s intestinal worms are easily eliminated by dealing with parasitic infections. If the worms are not removed, they will lay eggs and multiply and cause severe damage to the intestine. Intestinal parasites can be fatal to the host if neglected.
Symptoms of parasitic infection in children
One of the dangers of intestinal worms is that the symptoms are subtle and often overlooked by parents. Children with intestinal worms may show the following signs and symptoms:
- Abdominal pain: Your child may complain of abdominal pain.
- Loss of appetite: Your child may lose his appetite and starve.
- He may have lost weight.
- And always feel hungry.
- and have nausea and vomiting.
- If the child has false worms in his intestines, his anemia is common.
- Rash (usually urticaria), itching in the anal area, especially around the anus, where the worms enter the body. These cases are usually true for wormwood and nuclear wormwood.
- Seeing blood in the stool and diarrhea, although rare.
- Irritability and difficulty sleeping due to discomfort caused by itching.
- Frequent and painful urination.
- Persistent cough.
Parasitic infections significantly affect a child’s nutrition and, if not treated immediately, can cause malnutrition and cause significant weight loss in the child.
How do children get infected with worms?
Children are more vulnerable to intestinal worms than adults. They may unknowingly introduce worms into their bodies through simple activities such as walking barefoot on grass.
Other ways in which children can become infected with worms include:
- Contaminated soil is the most common cause of worms in children. A soil that is moist and moist has various worms, including helminths (intestinal worms) that enter the human body.
- Unsanitary environments and not having the habit of washing hands after defecation can cause parasitic infection.
- dirty water.
- Raw food and worm-infested fruits or vegetables, raw meat, and especially pork, may contain worms that can even cause brain damage.
- Infected animals such as pets and ticks and worms, as well as cattle and fish that live in the child’s home.
- If hygiene tips are not followed, children can be infected with worms through other children and adults. Worm eggs can live under the nails and if not washed, they can easily be transferred to another person.
Risks of parasitic infection in children
Children are more susceptible to worms and if not treated, the infection will spread throughout their body. Worms are parasites that feed on the host’s body and eventually cause malnutrition and affect the normal growth of the child.
Intestinal worms multiply by laying eggs in the child’s body until they are not easily destroyed by drugs. Therefore, it is important to have your child’s parasite infection checked at least every six months. Consult your doctor to provide a better understanding of the dosage and frequency of medication needed to treat your child’s parasitic infection.
Diagnosis of worms in children
Abdominal pain, fatigue and diarrhea can be symptoms of other diseases. To make sure these symptoms are true of intestinal worm disease, the doctor may recommend some other tests.
- The sticky tape test is a standard test that a doctor may perform to check the presence of worms in a child’s intestine. In this test, a piece of tape is attached to the child’s rectum to collect worm eggs – if any – and sent to the laboratory for further examination.
- Worms lay eggs under the nail and the doctor examines these eggs as a symptom.
- Stool examination can also show the presence of worms in the intestine.
- In case of severe worm infestation, ultrasound may be recommended.
Treatment of parasitic infection in children
Treatment for parasitic infection varies depending on the type of worm that has infected the intestine. The doctor may prescribe anthelmintics that are available in syrup form for toddlers and in tablet form for older children. Some common medicines to treat intestinal worms in children include:
- Mebendazole is used to treat various parasitic diseases in children.
- Pyrantel (Pyrantel), is another drug for the treatment of parasitic infections in children that the doctor may prescribe.
- For older children, you can try a reliable parasite treatment such as Rees Worm.
- Antiallergic drugs Zentel 400mg (Zentel) are prescribed for children over two years old.
- Zentel suspension is a parasite infection syrup for children under two years of age.
- Children’s parasitic infection pills usually kill the parasites without harming the host. The course of treatment is usually short and does not last more than a few days. Sometimes a single dose of mebendazole is enough to kill intestinal worms in a child.
Avoid relying on over-the-counter parasitic infection medications for children, as they may not be suitable for toddlers and small children. Always consult your doctor before use. Go to the doctor and ask for the appropriate dosage and treatment for your child to get rid of intestinal worms. As a precaution, it is best to take your child’s antiparasitic medication to prevent any contamination.
Home remedies to treat parasitic infections in children
Along with medicines, natural treatments can also help to reduce the discomfort caused by worm infection in the child’s body. These strategies may not necessarily protect the child from intestinal worms, but they can help treat and prevent infection.
- Garlic is a natural antiparasitic for children and is a known effective treatment against parasitic infection. Raw garlic contains sulfur-containing amino acids that can kill parasites and expel them from the body.
- Eating three cloves of raw garlic on an empty stomach can eliminate intestinal worms.
- Eat two cloves of chopped garlic with boiled milk every day.
- Unripe Indian mango has an enzyme called papain, which acts as an anthelmintic and destroys intestinal worms. Also, Indian mango seeds are used to expel worms from the stomach.
- Mix a spoonful of Indian mango seeds in a spoonful of milk or warm water. For three days, feed your child this mixture after waking up.
- Mix one tablespoon of raw mango and one tablespoon of honey with milk or warm water. Drinking this mixture on an empty stomach helps to eliminate intestinal worms.
- Carom seeds are rich in thymol, which prevents the growth of intestinal worms. The seeds show better performance when combined with yellow sugar in killing these parasites.
- Start your day by eating some yellow sugar or a teaspoon of powdered yellow sugar on an empty stomach.
- After 15 minutes, take a quarter of a tablespoon of crushed brown seeds with water. Repeating this procedure for 15 days will eliminate any worms.
- According to studies at the University of Maryland Medical Center, pumpkin seeds can help eliminate intestinal parasites. The seeds contain cucurbitacin, a compound that can kill parasites and prevent them from surviving in the body.
- Eat a tablespoon of roasted pumpkin with a tablespoon of honey.
- Pour one tablespoon of chopped pumpkin seeds in three cups of boiling water and let it steep for half an hour and drink after it cools down.
- Bitter gourd can also help fight worms in the stomach.
- Mix a cup of bitter alkaline gourd juice with water and honey and feed it to your child at least twice a day.
- Indian lilac has anti-parasitic properties and can kill various intestinal worms.
- Mix jasmine leaves with warm milk and honey and drink twice a week.
- Roast jasmine leaves in butter and eat with rice or bread.
- Mix half a teaspoon of jasmine leaves with a glass of warm water and drink it every day of the week on an empty stomach. Do this every other week until all the worms are gone.
- Carrots contain vitamin A, which helps strengthen the child’s immune system and makes it able to fight intestinal parasites before the parasites take over the whole body.
- Eating carrots on an empty stomach can help eliminate worms.
- Turmeric It is an internal disinfectant and helps in eliminating all kinds of intestinal worms.
- Mix a glass of warm water with a spoonful of turmeric and eat one meal a day for 5 days.
- You can also add turmeric to broth and consume it for a week to eliminate intestinal worms.
- Coconut has very strong anti-parasitic properties that are effective in treating worms.
- You can use the fruit or its oil to get rid of worms.
- Let your child eat a tablespoon of grated coconut in his daily breakfast. Do this for a week to get results.
Coconut oil is extremely high in medium chain triglycerides, which help remove worms from the intestines.
- Let your child have four to six teaspoons every morning coconut oil consume Because it strengthens your child’s immunity and prevents the recurrence of parasitic infection.
- Cloves not only destroy intestinal worms and their eggs, but can also prevent any possible contamination.
- Add a teaspoon of cloves to a cup of warm water and soak it for 20 minutes.
- Drinking clove juice three times a week will kill worms.
These treatments can help reduce the infection, but may not completely cure the infection. They are not a substitute for prescription drugs.
6 tips to prevent parasitic infection in children
Children who play in dirt, sand, grass, and other open spaces are likely to either get infected personally or get the infection from others. Although worms can be easily removed through disinfection, prevention is better than cure. Here are some tips to limit the possibility of getting a parasitic infection in children:
- Before consuming fruits and vegetables, wash them thoroughly and check for any contamination. Even if part of the fruit and vegetable is contaminated, avoid eating it.
- Do not eat stale salad, half-cooked meat or vegetables.
- Avoid eating raw meat, especially pork and fish, where the presence of worms is evident.
- Do not allow children to play barefoot in grass, mud or other open spaces.
- Drink boiled drinking water, avoid drinking water from public tanks unless you are sure of its safety.
- Use swimming pools that have proper hygiene.
These precautions may reduce the chance of your baby getting a parasitic infection.
Frequently Asked Questions:
My baby’s intestinal worms won’t go away. what must I do?
To prevent the recurrence of intestinal worms in children, it is necessary to remove the worms regularly. Consult your doctor regularly to get rid of parasites.
How long should my child be treated?
According to the recommendation of WHO, if the parasitic infection transmitted from the soil is more than 20%, the treatment should be done once a year, and if the infection rate is more than 50%, the treatment should be done twice a year.
Do babies also get parasitic infections?
Yes, babies too, regardless of age, can get parasitic infections. Disinfection is necessary to prevent and eliminate worm infections in the intestine.
Is there a certain age to get a parasitic infection? Who is at risk?
Dealing with parasitic infections for preschoolers and school-aged children and even women who have just graduated, or pregnant women– In the second and third trimester – and breastfeeding is harmful.
What are children’s creams?
Worms are one of the most common types of worms in children. These worms look like a piece of dental floss and are visible to the naked eye. You can see these small worms in your child’s stool and rectum.
Does parasitic infection have side effects?
In general, drugs for parasitic infections are well tolerated by children and have no side effects, but these drugs can sometimes cause mild side effects such as nausea, Vomit, dizziness and have a headache for a short period.
Worms in your small intestine can become large and visible to the naked eye or with a microscope. These worms, if left untreated, have the ability to cause irreparable damage. Watch out for the symptoms mentioned in this article and make sure that your child’s parasitic infection is resolved in the shortest possible time. The sooner you start, the less anxiety you will have.
