How obvious are threadworms?

[used2bthin]

I've been checking Dd's poo since a friend's child had worms but don't know what I'm looking for. I think saw some thin things but nothing moving and my friend said she could see them wriggling? Yuck! DDdoesn't seem to be scratching..

Check her bottom when asleep tonight. Use a torch. They will be very obvious, like tiny bits of thread all around the entrance to her bottom.

I have never managed to spot worms in poo, even when in a nappy!

Thanks I will do. In fact she's asleep now would it work without a torch? Hard to know isn't it? Not like I look at her poo much to see what it usually looks like!

you can see them wriggling in poo. They are white, thin and around 5 mm long,

If you spot any, you can get chewable tablets called ovex from pharmacy. You will need to be scrupulous about handwashing, with nailbrush, otherwise, may reinfect from eggs.

more active at night, by the way..

Thanks Mollyroger you see I can't see them wriggling but thought there were string like bits in DD's poo but about 1 mm ish so hard to know. I think I may just do the treatment to be on the safe side if you can buy it over the counter.

Stringy bits in poo can be totally normal - unless they were white stringy bits?

I've only seen them once (and even then I'm not totally sure), and that was in the toilet bowl after dd1 had had a loose poo...bigger than that though, about 1cm long and transparent/white. Ugh

If your dd is over 2, you can give banana flavoured Ovex easily - then re-dose two weeks later. But not worth doing unless you treat the whole family, plus do at least a couple of days' of towel/linen changing and washing, a good hoovering in areas she plays in, and pants and pjs at night (changed daily, along with other underwear). If you think she really does have worms, I'd do more washing than that, too - but for a precaution, I'd save my energy

Thanks Elibean they are white or transparent but really tiny and don't move. She has had two poo accidents and Ifeel totally paranoid about ti so Ithink will treat the whole family-its just me and DD anyway then do the precautionary washing as you suggest.

Having looked up info on worms though I can't see how anyone is ever rid of them-they have so many eggs and they get into the dust and you can inhale them argh!

Threadworms cause really intense itching but only at night when they emerge - it is a characteristic sign. You will know if your DD has them as the itching will drive her CRAZY.

Ah you see she has kept on talking about her "pee pee" but not been disturbed at night. I on the other hand am itchy all the time just thinking about it!

Maybe its a urinary infection or yeast infection? Doesn't sound like worms if she is not itchy at night. Best get it looked at by GP.