could cry ds keeps getting infected with thread worms what can I do???

[NotInTheMood]

The last time he had them or at least had symptoms was just before xmas. I gave him the two doses of ovex over 2 weeks apart and also the rest of the family. Plus changed the bedding every day for a week then every other day.New toels. Pants at bed time vasline on the bottom etc for 3 wks. And now he is complaining of an itchy bottom again . I really am at the end of my tether. No one else has the symptoms just him!!! what can I do?

Is there any evidence of worms, other than the itching? In other words, have you seen a worm?

If not, could it be that he has something else going on? Thrush maybe?

If it really is worms, then how is he at hand washing as that is likely to be the culprit for reinfection. He needs really really short nails, and to wash his hands after every toilet trip, before eating, on getting up in the morning before he has a chance to get his fingers to his mouth etc etc.

Threadworms come from cat or dog shit generally don't they? If you have one treat them. Or try to restrict your DC from eating mud/playing in dirt (good luck!) and get them hand washing regularly if they don't already.

Me and my DS had them often when little; hope you get through...

Yes, short nails and nailbrushes by every sink, plus vacuuming everywhere every day, especially in the bedrooms. Other than that I would say you've done everything right, so it might not be worms after all, if no one else has symptoms.

Good point QueenOf. Also constipation perhaps; piles or anal fissures (the titchy splits) itch a lot.

No I definitely saw one!! No pets!! I am sure he is getting re-infected from school. I just don't understand why he is prone to them.

Threadworms only infect humans www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Threadworms/Pages/Causes.aspx (although can be passed around on the fur by petting but if no pets then no problem)

how old is ds? if at school I would tell them so they are reinforcing the hygiene message for all children - eggs get transfered by anything, toys, furniture, surfaces... good hand washing needs to apply in all areas all of the time, children can have worms and no symptoms, I guess its really just like nits in that setting!

The nhs site also says that eggs can survive for 3 weeks so I would keep going with the extra hygiene things you are doing as well as food only at the table and washing bottom in morning - hope you get rid of them soon!

DD1 (5) has had them about 6 times now, generally a few months apart. She had finally worked out after much nagging that washing your hands EVERY time she goes to the loo might be a good idea

We went through this, and ended up on treatment for 6 weeks at a time, and I washed everything like a maniac on hot, I even took all the bedding (and I mean every single pillowcase) to a laundrette and got them to hot wash it all. It cost a fortune but I like you was so pissed off with it. I also mentioned it to school as he had some scratches on his face from some little shit in his reception class, and she sent a note out about keeping nails short for hygeine. I also used to get all of us to use a nail brush after every loo visit.

Fingers crossed we have been fine for a while now. Good luck.

Threadworms come from cat or dog shit generally don't they?

No. EmmaCate, your info is incorrect.

Op, it doesn't matter how good you are at trying to prevent them, if he isn't washing his hands at school after the toilet, & before eating, the cycle will continue.

Basically, if someone else in his class has them, goes to the toilet, doesn't wash hands & touches stuff that other pupils use, pens, scissors, etc he may well be getting the eggs off stuff in the classroom! Then eating the eggs.

Also, when you see he has them, he needs to be washed too, hands, bottom, fingernails etc. Children scratch & get the eggs under their nails, put their fingers in their mouth...and so the cycle continues.

Sorry op, meant to say that dd(8) is sent to school with wipes to use before eating, as they aren't routinely sent to wash hands before eating. This sees to work for us.

Also the fact that they now have their own pens/pencils etc so less sharing! :)

Few other things. If he has teddies, wash them too!

If he is a nail biter or finger chewer, try to deal with that because that is a sure road to reinfection (stop n grow stuff or similar).

I have found that as my DC have got older, we have had less reinfections and I think it's partly due to the fact that they've moved from evening baths to morning showers ie the eggs get washed away, so have no chance to hatch and reinfect. Can you change your routine so that he gets a bottom wash in the morning?!

Also, not probably a point for now, but to bear in mind for later if it keeps happening. When you go on holiday, dose the whole family when you go and again two weeks later and make sure you come back to clean house/bedding (do this before you go). At least you know then that your family and house will be (hopefully) worm/egg free!

PS Dose whole family even if no-one else has symptoms

Oops, sorry, just seen that you did that.....

Hand washing is key. Short nails, if he's a thumb or finger sucker then dissuade him from doing that. Anti-bac gel by the toilet?

And second going to school - if he's not washing his hands after the toilet or touching another child who isn't washing their hands after going then he'll get reinfected.

I'd second hasselling the School to send out letters to other parents if its definitely worms - we had big problems with DDs nursery over this & its not fair - DD used to be in agony as she reacted badly to the slime they left on her bits (TMI) - often in the early years parents don't know what to look out for & need a nudge, theres also a lot of ignorance over what & how to deal with it, as per some comments on this thread :) so the School really does need to act to cut down re infection - do they know, have they cleaned up areas where reinfection is likely - sand pits etc etc - are they keeping tabs on hand washing.

I found buying a steam cleaner a godsend - 60* plus heat kills eggs, so shooting steam at door handles, bed edging etc makes life a lot easier

That said, DD gets an itchy bum even now - its down to lactose intolerance, so if he has any other symptoms, it might not actually be worms

DD2 has always sucked her hand, from the day she was born. She even has little callouses on the back of her hand from it.

We have 3 DDs (6, 4, 2) and she is the only one who gets them, because she sucks her hand!

We have a bout of worms every few weeks. Grim. We just get as much as we can see away then treat with Ovex. I sympathise though, because 2am armed with a torch is not pleasant!

As well as the cleaning bedding and towels, to be really thorough you need to damp dust and vac every day for 2 weeks. And clean with soapy water as many toys that might be infected. I changed bedding every day for 2 weeks. Made everyone wear pants in bed. changed PJs nightly and everyone had a shower, or hose down of bottom region every morning.

Definitely chat to the school about it. As if it is coming from school then there's a good chance of re-infection if there isn't a note round alerting parents of the signs. A pharmacist friend of mine says she sells as much worm treatment as nit treatment - strange though, as I've never heard of people openly discussing worms or seen signs at school.

The other thing you could mention to the school is if there is playdough or a sand pit (indoors though, not sure how long the eggs would survive outdoors in winter?) then the contents need to be chucked out and changed. Apparently playdough and sand in sandpits is notorious for harbouring worm eggs as its the perfect stuff to get under little fingernails and dislodge any eggs there. Yuck! Actually....same applies to home playdough.

horrible little buggers aren't they. I'd think if you've actually an active infection first time round then it probably is a case that your DS has become reinfected. The rest of the family might not have become reinfected quite so quick as you're better at hand hygiene and if he picked it up at school then you'll only get exposure to the eggs once the first live worms have gone through their life cycle in your DS (can't remember if its 2 weeks or 6 weeks from egg to egg laying worm?). But if your DS's bottom is itchy then he's got egg laying worms (as its the egg laying goop that causes the itchyness).

The other thing I've just remember our Chemist & GP told us & was spot on

• Worms have a very definite life cycle - they come out at night to lay eggs around the bottom - this will be like clockwork & just after you LO has gone to bed & thats when he will be itching, irritable & crying - a bit of itching at other times may be down to irritation from the "slime" if he's not been bathed since the night before - but otherwise they really are like clockwork & it will be worst just after he's gone to bed

Every day is a school day. I didn't know they made slime and goop.
I agree that the school should be made aware and should be encouraging the children to wash their hands before they eat.
I had cause to tell DDs school that she had worms. The school were completely disinterested which pissed me off no end.

ripsi Slime's probably not the best description, but best I could think of - I was told by our GP that they have some sort of secretions when they come out to lay eggs, think its the goo that comes out with the eggs - I'm probably more aware of it as my own DD had a really nasty reaction to it around her vagina :( - something akin to the worst nappy rash you could imagine, poor mite was in agony & nothing soothed it - her nursery were equally as shite & ended up going to war with them over it - withheld payment & contacted the local health authority etc - got there in the end

also did you replace toothbrushes & do you keep them on the sink or away from sink.
I hoovered, scrubbed disinfected everything, treated all of us inc granparents.

If you are doing all this & still repeat infections then i would have a word with the school