Worms in children: symptoms, treatment, prevention

Infection with helminthic invasions is a problem that is quite common in all countries of the world. Almost every third inhabitant of the planet is a carrier of worms, and worms in children are even more common. If we take into account the statistics of only one country, more than two million cases of worms have been registered. But in fact, these numbers are much higher, because people often do not seek help from a doctor, but try to get rid of worms on their own.

And some of the patients simply do not know about their condition, because the disease is almost asymptomatic. If we draw a parallel between the annual sales of anthelmintic drugs and the population of the country, then there are about 22 million patients, of which almost 80% are young children.

To date, medicine is known for more than three hundred species of worms. Affecting the body, worms, whose symptoms depend on the type of parasite and the number of larvae pierced, do not always give a vivid picture that indicates the nature of the disease. To suspect helminth infection, you need to know the signs of worms and their manifestations, which may indicate the introduction of parasites into the child's body.

Types of worms

All known worms are usually classified into three main groups, which are:

• Nematodes (roundworms). . . The class of parasites most commonly diagnosed in children. The group is represented by such types as:
  • roundworms,
  • pinworms,
  • Trichinella,
  • whips.
• Cestode (flat strip parasites), are represented by such types as:
  • wide strip
  • echinococcus (swine tapeworm),
  • dwarf (rat) tapeworm,
  • beef tapeworm (tapeworm).
• Trematodes (sucking parasites), the main representatives of this class:
  • liver fluke,
  • Siberian (feline) fluke.

According to the second classification, worms are divided into intestinal and extraintestinal parasites. The first group parasitizes only in the intestinal cavity, the second prefers other organs of the human body, for example, liver, heart, lungs, muscles, brain. Extraintestinal worms have the ability to penetrate the bloodstream, gnawing through the walls of the intestines and blood vessels, and through the bloodstream they reach their favorite habitat.

Factors contributing to the infection of children with nematodes

• Lack of the habit of constantly washing hands after using the toilet, after walking, before eating. Even cookies and sweets should not be given to a child without asking him to wash his hands first.
• Rare change of underwear. Especially in summer, it is necessary to ensure that the child changes the clean bedding at least twice a day. It is important to teach him to work the morning toilet after bed, and in the evening before bed.
• The habit of taking everything in your mouth, sucking your fingers, licking toys, pencils and felt-tip pens.
• The presence of pets in the house that go for a walk on the street. Even if the dog is taken out on a leash, and under strict supervision not to take anything in its mouth, worm eggs can be attached to its fur.
• Poorly washed vegetables and fruits before serving.
• Low standard of living, lack of cleanliness in the house, the presence of flies, bed bugs and cockroaches.

Causes and mechanism of infection of children with worms

Of all the types of worms that can inhabit the human body, nematodes predominate. Basically, worms in children, whose symptoms are well differentiated, are pinworms and roundworms, whips are much less often diagnosed. Cases of infection of other species do not make up more than 3%. This is because flukes and tapeworms are more common in tropical climates, and the infection occurs mainly when visiting countries located in tropical or subtropical zones.

In addition, since tapeworm parasites can withstand fairly high temperatures, they are mostly infected by fans of uncooked or raw meat and fish dishes. And, of course, it is easy to catch worms if the sanitary norms and rules of personal hygiene are not respected.

The mechanism of infection with roundworms and pinworms is much simpler, but also more common. Neglect of regular hand washing, careless handling of raw vegetables, herbs and berries. As well as direct contact with stray animals or worm carriers.

The pinworm species also has increased reinvasion. This means that re-infection often occurs in this way:

• pinworms cause severe itching of the anus,
• child, combing itchy skin,
• while pinworm eggs fall on the patient's fingers and underwear,
• further, by touching door handles, faucets and other surfaces, the patient leaves pinworm eggs on them,
• the eggs freely penetrate the body of people living with the carrier and again to the patient himself.

The most dangerous places to infect roundworms and pinworms are:

• kindergartens,
• playgrounds,
• entertainment centers for children.

One cannot escape the fact that every child in the first years of life tries to taste almost everything. This is a natural process of cognition of the surrounding world. And by touching the surfaces in crowded places, the baby will surely put his hands in his mouth, which is why worms will enter the body.

In addition, an incompletely formed child's immune system and weak protective barriers of the immature digestive tract contribute to infection. The only way to reduce the risk of infection is to constantly force the baby to wash his hands, because this can become a habit for the child only by the age of four, and not even then.

The blurred manifestation of symptoms and complex diagnostic methods greatly contribute to the increased morbidity in children. The clinical picture of the disease may be unclear, short-lived or completely absent. Noticing mild discomfort in a child, few parents will suspect worms and consult a doctor immediately. Most will decide that they know enough to self-diagnose and prescribe treatment, which ultimately leads to widespread parasites and infection of others.

Even the analysis of feces on worm eggs and scraping on enterobiosis do not always give a true picture of the disease. Helminth eggs can be unevenly located in the feces, and in order to catch them, it is necessary to follow the rules for taking material for analysis, which not everyone knows. Scraping can also show a negative result, because females do not lay eggs every day, and in order to get a reliable picture, scraping must be done at least three times at regular intervals.

Common symptoms and signs of all helminths

The penetration of helminthic invasions into the body is not always accompanied by external symptoms. And in most cases, up to a certain point, the person does not notice the presence of parasites in the body at all. Some types of worms can live in humans for years without any negative impact on their well-being, and they activate their vital activity only under favorable conditions. this could be:

• weakening the body with other diseases,
• reduction of immune system activity due to negative environmental influences,
• poor nutrition.

Not so long ago, there was a scientific theory about the influence of worms on the appearance of many internal diseases. Which, however, did not find adequate support, but was not refuted.

But today it has been reliably established that every person is a carrier of a certain amount of bacteria, viruses, fungi, including helminths. And parasites do not always behave kindly towards the owner. The constant release of their waste products, which are toxic to humans, gradually leads to a worsening of the condition and the development of various diseases.

Indicators of suspected active worm activity are symptoms such as:

• Increased appetite with significant weight loss or loss of appetite and persistent bouts of nausea.
• Recurrent abdominal pain, impaired stool formation, expressed in constipation or diarrhea, attacks of nausea, ending in vomiting, headaches and dizziness, which are constant or intermittent.
• Hypersensitivity of the organism to various substances and products.
• Deterioration of teeth and nails, increased hair loss due to anemia due to iron deficiency and chronic vitamin B deficiency₁₂. . .
• Low resistance to respiratory diseases (adenoids in children) and inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system.
• Increased irritability and crying, insomnia and restless sleep deprivation, nightmares and unfounded outbursts of anger, distracted attention and constant anxiety - all this indicates the entry into the blood of large amounts of toxic substances produced by worms.
• Persistent anemia (low hemoglobin) and a high number of eosinophils in a clinical blood test should alert parents and make them check the child for worms. One of the most dangerous negative manifestations of the disease is developmental delay.
• Increased allergic reaction to prophylactic vaccinations.

Specific symptoms of pinworms

Small, but very fast multiplying and persistent worms - pinworms, cause the development of enterobiasis in children. This is an unpleasant disease whose main symptom is a strong, unbearable itching in the anus, which intensifies at night.

When a child gets sick, pinworm eggs quickly spread to surrounding objects, reaching for toys, clothes, dishes and anything the baby touches. Pinworms feel great outside the human body and are able to withstand the action of many disinfectants. Pinworm eggs are guaranteed to be destroyed only by cooking and irradiating with ultraviolet rays.

Enterobiosis infection occurs only through the mouth, when a child takes dirty hands in his mouth or licks infected areas. Through the esophagus, pinworms quickly penetrate the intestines and settle there, and in two weeks grow into adult sexually mature individuals.

Severe itching, characteristic of enterobiosis, occurs due to irritation caused by pinworm eggs. Its strengthening at night is explained by the fact that in sleep, the anal sphincters relax a little and do not represent an insurmountable obstacle for an adult female, which lays eggs, exclusively crawling to the surface. In one fell swoop, pinworm can leave up to 5, 000 eggs on the skin of the anus.

By irritating the skin, pinworms force the skin to comb, penetrating at this point under the nails, on the skin of the hands, on clothing and bedding. In addition to severe itching, in pinworms infection, the symptoms in children are as follows:

• Disturbed, restless sleep, often insomnia, nightmares.
• Stopping growth and weight gain, or even weight loss.
• Increased fatigue, nervousness, irritability.
• Decreased attention and poor assimilation of new things, which leads to learning delays.
• Girls may develop enuresis with urethral irritation. This results in involuntary urination at night.
• In addition, pinworms can penetrate the internal genital organs, colonize the vaginal cavity (vulvovaginitis), and even reach the uterus and fallopian tubes, bringing with them infection and causing inflammation.
• Accumulation of large colonies of pinworms in the caecal cavity can cause appendicitis.
• An unconfirmed symptom is gnashing of teeth at night.
• Reproduction of pinworms contributes to the development of diseases such as:
  • intestinal dysbiosis,
  • enterocolitis,
  • pain of unclear etiology in the abdomen,
  • diarrhea,
  • prison.
• Due to constant intoxication, the intestinal walls stop absorbing nutrients, vitamins and other substances normally, which ultimately reduces the functioning of the immune system. For this reason, children with pinworm worms get sick not only often, but also seriously.

Specific symptoms of ascarids (ascariasis)

According to statistics from recent research, the picture of worm infestation is quite alarming. The results show that more than 80% of preschool children are infected with various types of worms at least once.

Unfortunately, many parents do not perceive earthworms as a serious disease and are extremely unserious about it. But inhabited parasites not only deprive the body of essential nutrients, but are also capable of infecting many internal organs.

Representatives of such parasites are roundworms, which cause ascariasis, whose symptoms are much stronger than those of pinworms. Despite the fact that roundworms and pinworms belong to the same class of worms, roundworms can penetrate and cause serious damage not only in the intestines but also in other organs, for example:

• on the liver,
• in the pancreas,
• at heart,
• in brain tissues,
• in the gallbladder,
• in the lungs.

Ocal worms enter the body only from the soil, but the provoking factors remain the same as in pinworms, and these are:

• non-compliance with hygiene rules,
• careless processing of vegetables, berries and spices,
• non-compliance with safety rules when working on a private plot,
• unhygienic living conditions.

After entering the body, roundworms adapt for a long time (3 months), mature into motile larvae, gnaw through the walls of the small intestine and blood vessels, and only then begin their migration to favorite organs of the human body.

This period is marked by events such as:

• increase in body temperature in the evening to 37, 5 ° C;
• frequent weakness and malaise;
• dry cough, sometimes accompanied by weakly separated sputum interspersed with crimson blood;
• the development of obstructive bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia or pleurisy is possible;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• enlargement of the pancreas and liver.

And the main symptom of primary ascariasis is a skin rash like urticaria, localized on the hands and feet.

Further development of the disease, in which roundworms return to the intestines, is characterized by such disorders as:

• diarrhea or constipation
• cramping pain in the abdomen,
• frequent bouts of nausea, which sometimes lead to vomiting,
• bloating,
• anal irritation,
• significant weight loss.

At this stage, on the background of general intoxication, stomatitis and purulent lesions of the skin and mucous membranes often occur. Prolonged poisoning with ascaris processing products leads, as a result, to disorders of the nervous system and mental disorders, which are:

• insomnia,
• nightmares,
• epileptic seizures,
• hypotension.

As a complication of ascariasis, such severe and dangerous pathologies as:

• bowel obstruction,
• acute appendicitis,
• obstructive jaundice
• peritonitis.

Specific signs of damage from other types of worms

1. Vlasoglav (trichocephaly)- characterized by mild symptoms. Indicators of infection are diarrhea mixed with blood stains, prolonged constipation, frequent vomiting, which often leads to dehydration and anemia. Children with such lesions usually lag significantly behind in growth and mental development.

2. Toxocariasis- In most cases, babies up to 4 years of age are taken with frequent contact with infected dogs or cats. Allergic reactions manifest as itchy skin, fever and chills, allergic cough (up to suffocation), swollen face, lung masses, swollen lymph nodes and eye diseases.

3. Dwarf (rat) tapeworm- causes hymenolepiasis, which is characterized by a latent course without any symptoms. With the development of helminth colonies, the child develops dyspeptic disorders, pain syndrome, increased salivation and frequent headaches. And gradually all this turns into diseases such as:

   • hives,
   • vasomotor or allergic rhinitis,
   • bronchospasm.

4. Siberian (feline) fluke- opisthorchiasis, characteristic symptoms: fever, swollen lymph nodes, skin rash, pain in the right hypochondrium and joints. Complications: dystrophic myocarditis, hepatitis, pneumonia, pancreatitis, severe gastritis.

5. Wide strip- difilobotriosis, a disease caused by tapeworm infection, whose eggs or larvae may remain alive in raw meat or undercooked meat. It is characterized by intestinal disorders, pain syndrome and B₁₂- deficiency anemia.

Methods for removing worms in children

Today, the pharmaceutical industry supplies pharmacies with various anthelmintic drugs of various kinds. These can be targeted drugs or broad-spectrum drugs. Unfortunately, most of them have a long list of negative side effects on the body. Therefore, if worms are found in a child, treatment should be prescribed only by a parasitologist, after a thorough examination and all necessary tests.

Moreover, the treatment of most diseases caused by worms requires not only the treatment of worms in children with anthelmintic drugs, but also the appointment of a course of antihistamines, vitamin therapy and probiotics.

Antihistamines are needed to normalize the immune response. Vitamins and probiotics restore the loss of essential acids and normalize the intestinal microflora.

Hexahydropyrazine was isolated from the drugs with the least toxic effects. It is therefore more often recommended when asked how to get rid of worms in young children. The drug is specially produced not in tablets, but in the form of a suspension or syrup.

Many parents prefer traditional medicines. Indeed, pumpkin seeds and garlic have an anthelmintic effect and are often used, for example, to treat ascariasis. But their use does not guarantee a complete cure. Therefore, to rule out recurrence, it is better to take the medication prescribed by your doctor and correct the result with any folk anthelmintic, otherwise the question of how to remove the worms will be repeated.

Preventive measures against worm infection

The inevitability of worm penetration into a child's body cannot be taken as an axiom. There are a number of rules for preventing worms, respecting which you can easily protect your baby from this infection:

• Rinse raw vegetables, berries, herbs and fruits thoroughly under running water, then pour boiling water over them.
• Fish and meat dishes are subjected to long-term heat treatment.
• Do not allow flies, cockroaches, bed bugs and mosquitoes to appear in the apartment or house.
• All pets should be given anthelmintic prophylaxis regularly.
• Have your child wash his hands after each contact with animals.
• Allow the child to play and use only treated toys and objects.
• From the first steps, teach your child to wash their hands with soap and water after going to the toilet, after returning from a walk, after playing outdoors and before every meal.
• Never pull toys or other objects into your mouth or lick your fingers.
• Monitor the condition of your child's nails.
• At night, put your baby in a tight nightgown to prevent the worms from spreading.
• It is recommended not only to boil children's underwear, but also to iron it on both sides.
• Teach your baby to change his underwear in the morning and in the evening. It is recommended that the child has a special shelf in the closet where only his belongings will be kept.