To expect TA to know about threadworms?

[WLmum]

Discovered on fri eve that dd (age 4) has threadworms. Have treated us all and following all recommendations etc. Went into school this am to be a responsible parent and tell them, class teacher wasn't in yet so spoke to teaching assistant. Not sure how long she's been there but certainly since dd started and am pretty sure she has kids of her own, and school nurse talked about threadworms at parent induction and stats are that 40./. Of primary kids will have threadworms at any one time....I told TA and she said what's that then? I've never come across that! I was v shocked! Opinions?

I am a TA. Whilst I know what threadworms are (mostly from threads on here) my children have never had them (touch wood it stays that way)

At work I am there to support children's learning. If a child had threadworms or suspected threadworms there is nothing I could do other than reinforce handwashing. If the child needed medicine administering during school hours then that would be a job for the office who are extensively trained on all things medical.

I had TA training by the school, it did not cover threadworms. (Have done basic First Aid and need to refresh that every 3 years)

I had thread worms when I was about 6 or 7 .

My bottom itched like nothing on earth.

I don't understand why though why threadworms (and to a degree nits) just seem to stick to children

I think you are probably being a but U to expect a TA to know about thread worms OP, unlike the (trainee) GP that I saw when DS, then 3, had them.
Tbh it was his abject horror that bothered me most, made me feel like we were a family of lepers He also informed me that DS had picked them up from uncooked meat which even I knew was tapeworms. Thankfully he called in one of the other GP's who put him right and who made me feel better by telling me how common it is at that age.

Sorry, I typed tapeworms but meant threadworms, it seems my mind was elsewhere!

at people saying they/their children have never had them!!! A lot of the time there are NO SYMPTOMS..... You would never know!!

And they are not exclusive to children, just that children are less keen on hygiene and are in more close contact

I have unfortunately caught threadworms off my youngest son more than once :( and god they are so horrible and I couldn't sleep with them either.

This is a something you would only share on internet forum not in the school playground moment for me

Oh god Lilac how do you know then?

I don't think mine have ever had them, but would I even know!!!!

Err I'm a nurse and I know next to nothing about threadworms! My 3 kids have never had them and I don't know another child who has had them. Have never come across them clinically.
You are being very harsh.

I only know of threadworms from mumsnet and the whole vagine thread and that they maybe/possibly travel to your front bits and cause an incredible itchy muff. I commend mumsnet for broadening my horizons

Never come across them in real life though

Yes they travel in girls!!

Look them up, symptoms vary.... Do a google image!

I'd never heard of threadworms before mumsnet.

The only worms I knew about where garden worms, slow worms, tapeworm and ringworm (that went round my primary school but me and my siblings never got it. I do not actually think it is a worm anyway, but a fungal infection?)

they come out of your bottom when you are 6 . At night

maybe they were an 80's thng

I once had them as a child but I don't think we informed a teacher.

My DP has been complaining about a sore and itchy bum the last few weeks. The GP didn't do anything but give him thrush medication, which did not help. Not it's not sore anymore but always itchy at night. Wonder whether it could be worms? I should probably start washing all the towels, sheets etc, right?

You will all need medication...

See worms had crossed my mind but I thought it might be DP being crazy, as he always just complained about itching when we are in bed/at night and it drove me insane

He says he hasn't seen any though, should we still treat just in case? Or should he see a GP first?

I am itching all over now, it's like reading a thread about lice.

Well that's me told then!

Fwiw, I wanted to tell the teacher to be a responsible parent, as it's infectious I wanted them to just be aware that it's around. I also wanted them to reinforce her handwashing so she has less risk of spreading them. Dd told me that often there is no soap when she washes her hands before lunch (this was the case when I was in the school) last week so I would also like them to check on that.

I don't expect teachers or ta's to be miracle workers by the way!

Lilac, I had them myself, as a child, as did my dsis. The itching was unbelieveable, and you could see them in the loo on the poo.

We are a family of poo inspectors (bowel cancer runs in the family so I check every now and then) and the children have started to have a quick look before flushing too. Seeing as we can't see them in the poo, nor are we itching I am safely assuming we don't have them.

(otherwise I would end up in the loony bin worrying about having things without symptoms...)