threadworm protection in 21 mth yr oldOvex???

[Rosa]

4 yr old has threadworms discoverd last night. Been to Boots who said do whole family but nothing for 21mth yr old. AM positive that she will get it as she puts everything in her mouth/ share baths and possibly towels. Don't want to waste GP time for a just incase ..what should I do?
I have already changed sheets , cut nails,damp dusted, hoovered, seperate towels and will be strict on hand washing etc Would you give half ??

If she does have them, you don't need to give medication to her, just keep up with the hand washing hoovering and damp dusting. Also they recommend a bath in the morning, and just wash towels straight after using on the highest temp possible without ruining them. I just have white cotton towels and when my little one had them (I found one in his nappy) at about the same age as yours, I put my towels on a boil wash. They also recommend ironing bedsheets and underwear, to kill any eggs.

If she has them and you keep up with the cleaning, they should be gone within two weeks. Oh, and wearing undies to bed, should distract any scratching, maybe pyjamas too rather than a nightie?

Hope she doesn't have them.

Thanks 4 yr old does have them I found one . She is in pjmas and pants at night now !! .
I just don't want the 21mth yr old to get them but as they take a while to incubate I am positive she will get them she follows her big sister round and plays with the same toys but the 21mth old eats them !!. By the amount of squirming and upset that dd1 was in last night I would like to avoid that with the 21mth yr old.....PLus I am at grandparents so would like to avoid anything if poss !

Worms are an unfortunate part of childhood. My doc told me it was as common, if not more so, than headlice, but people tend not to talk about worms as much. I wouldn't give any medication if I were you, if it says not to on the packet, then don't. You can get rid of them by rigorous cleaning, and the 21mth old probably won't even notice them if she gets them, I know my DS didn't.

The squirming you talk about, and upset is probably more to do with her knowing she has them more than the threadwormss themselves. I had them as a child and all I can remember is the itching.

Plus, any treatment you give will probably cause diarrhoea, which, if you DD2 doesn't have them will cause cramping pains for no reason. Keep a close check on her, use a torch in the middle of the night to check her bottom, and if you do notice any, you could always pop to your GP then.

Thanks - Dd doesn't know that she has them as she will tell her dad and as you say they are not talked about - Dad is in Italy and I could imagine what MIL would do probably ban all trips to the Uk !!! He is coming over next week so will tell him then !
I also remember having them as a child and them coming back again and again mind you they know more now about how they are spread so maybe I will be able to stop it !
WIll just monitor dd2 and will wrestle her down to trim off the last 3 nails that I couldn't get to this morning !

If yours kept coming back again and again, it might just have been that you played with someone who wasn't treated, or whose parents didn't wash things thoroughly. They will go if you practice rigorous washing control. And make sure she knows how to wash her hands properly, and especially before food. Also make sure you wash fruit well, as that can be a cause of picking up threadworm.

It's strange that nearly all children have had them, and nearly all adults had them as children.
I had worms, but never had head lice!

I do remember playing with a particular friend whose house was dirty though, and I mean stinking, so I can imagine how easy it would have been to catch them over and over if she had had them. I know her parents never bothered cleaning, and there are some children like that now, if they have them, they will never get rid of them from the state of their houses.

So, just because you had an experience with them and they kept coming back, it does not mean that you were dirty, or your house wasn't clean, it was probably the company that you kept!

It's nothing to be ashamed about. They will go, they're just bloody annoying when they're here!

Haven't read every word but I know that Pripsen powders are safe for under 2's. Top tip is to mix with petits filous.

Good idea about mixing pripsen with yogurt, its disgusting stuff! That's what they gave me when I was younger, maybe it's changed and it tastes better now?

My DS had threadworms when he was 3 and I think my DD was around 1, went to Doctors and they ok'd the Ovex for her after checking on the computer, can't remember dosage though. i crushed the tablet and mixed with yoghurt

That was the name - I remembered I had the Prispen stuff... all I remembered today was that it started with 'P'.
DD1 is very good about washing hands but she does just help herself to fruit - grapes bluberries etc I do generally wash everything first but at GPs sometimes I don't get there first.
Will see how it goes as for hand washing we generally do before food but they do play in the garden lots here and often snacks bypass it .....Not for the next 2 weeks anyway !!! DD has been in close contact with play areas and play centres and teh garden so who knows where she got it from Thank you all esp ROTH for your soothing words......
Off to iron the first of 2 sets of sheets !!!