5 year old threadworms

[SunshineaftertheRai3]

My daughter has been complaining of an itchy bum last few days and last night saw a threadworms crawl out of her bum. Have just been to chemist to buy the medicine for us all. But do I need to inform school? Also does anti histamine help with the itching. I'm now vigorously cleaning all bedding, towels, surfaces, pyjamas and carpets. Do I need to put all teddies in a washing machine she has bloody loads or will wiping them down with a anti bac wipe do the job. Also anything else I should be doing other than lots of handwashing?

Yes, stop panicking.

They’re easily caught and easily got rid of. They’re also super common.
I had them twice as a child, and I’ve had them 3 times as an adult (worked in a nursery briefly, and my own DC caught them once too-or possibly twice) 🤣. Kids not washing their hands is what causes the spread, it will always happen. You can of course inform the school, they’ll be discreet, but most parents will only treat for them if their child has any symptoms. I’ve never done anything more than take the meds and wash the bedding, and I’ve never had a problem getting rid.

Thanks that's really helpful to know and has put me a bit more at ease.

very very common OP. Nearly all kids and people with/working with them will get them at some point. Just treat her/everyone else at home and crack on.

Horrible the first time you deal with them isn’t it 🤣 I remember being about 9, trying to find out what was wrong with me in my mums A-Z of family medicine (no internet in the 80s) and having a breakdown in the bathroom because I thought I was dying from some sort of parasite. My mum found me, I told her, and she couldn’t stop laughing 🤣 that was my introduction to threadworms.
She went straight out to the chemist and in a few days I was worm free.
Its even possible to get rid of them just using hygiene measures-though that’s a bit of a ball ache, and it takes WEEKS!
Meds, wash bedding, and for extra safety wash everything in the laundry basket. You’ll be free of them in no time, I promise you.
If your DC catch them again, you won’t worry next time. Last time we had them my DS was actually in year 8 in secondary school 🤣, I don’t know if that says something about the hygiene measures of high school kids or if their younger siblings are to blame.

Just as a side note, no, I don’t think antihistamine will stop the itching. The itching is caused by them wriggling, not from an allergy. Antihistamines work exactly how the name describes, they block the effects of histamine (a substance in your body, released as a reaction to something harmful, like allergies or infection) wriggling sensations on your skin don’t cause histamine to be produced

We've had them in our house multiple times, but not once since my kids left primary. Simply buy ovex family box and repeat two weeks later. We found the itchiness stops after a few days. Just keep washing hands as soon as they get out of bed in the morning as they may have scratched while asleep and have eggs/worms under fingernails. Tbh I never went overboard with boiling all bedding etc, as the tablets really do work well. We never informed school about threadworms. Sometimes the class got given a standard letter informing worms were 'doing the rounds' so I'm guessing some parents do tell. Just take the tablets and continue with your day.