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Original poster

i think my child has threadworms..HELP!

37 replies

bubblepop · 10/09/2006 21:41

my six year old has come to me tonight and he said there was"worms moving" in a bit of poo he did in his undies by accident. im devastated.. i feel such a failure as a parent, i looked it up on nhs direct and it said the causes were poor hygeine, and common in family groups living in cramped living conditions. i feel so guilty that i havn't made the boys have a bath every single night.its all my fault, i feel so bad. ive got four kids and im running around like a headless chicken trying to keep the house in order, i do four loads of washing every day,theres always clean towls in the bathroom, i don't know what else i can do without having a nrvous breakdown.

OP posts:

SnowBoo · 10/09/2006 21:44

Don't worry bubble. I'm a real hygiene freak and my ds has had them a few times.. They can pick it up from nursery, toilets, anywhere. Doesn't make you a bad mummy in any way!

emmatom · 10/09/2006 21:44

It doesn't mean you and yours are dirty bubblepop.

Little kids are always fiddling down below and round their buts arn't they and it's this way it is so easy for the egg to be passed to mouth and then out as a worm.

Go and see your doctor who will give your son some medication or ointment or something and they will clear.

mears · 10/09/2006 21:44

Please do not feel guilty. 80% of children have thtreadworms at one point or another. Contact the GP tomorrow and get a prescription for the family. Strip the beds, cut the nails and do not share hand towels. This is a normal part of life with children.

moondog · 10/09/2006 21:45

Don't be daft!
Loads of kids get them-like lice.
My dd had a bout a moth or so ago.Cleared up with one pill available over the counter.Somthing like Piripsen???

madrose · 10/09/2006 21:47

please don't get stressed - it is very very common. My SIL's made me cringe when they checked bottoms by using legs in air and a torched.

he probably picked it up at school, and I know you're going to say 'he's been off for 6 weeks', but there is a three month incubation period.

It is easily treated - but you must treat the whole family, as they are easily passed on.

Make sure his fingernails are kepted short.

But please you are a fabby mummy, so please don't get stressed.

helsy · 10/09/2006 21:48

As the proud owner of a two year old who had "worms in her bottom" a few weeks ago, I don't think it's about being dirty but about kids sticking their hands down their pants then in their mouths, and so on. And it is really common. We went to the chemist and the whole family had to take one tablet each and take extra care with hygiene - towels, flannels, lots of handwashing (which we do anyway). We don't bath daily though!

SnowBoo · 10/09/2006 21:49

Pripsen is a powder and disgusting. There is a pill but not sure of the name. And we've just been bitten by the head lice goblin! So it happens to us all in the end. Little beggers....

mears · 10/09/2006 21:58

Pripsen made me sick. Vermox is a liquid which was much better. No-one had side effects from it.

moondog · 10/09/2006 21:59

Vermox! What a nmae!
The \pripsen we got was a tablet like a sweet which both kids chewed voluntarily.

3littlefrogs · 10/09/2006 22:01

You can buy the pills over the counter at any chemist. I always kept a supply in the house when mine were small because they pick up worms at nursery so easily. The communal plate of fruit was a real problem at my daughter's nursery - they kept choosing a piece, then putting it back. Little children are not that good at handwashing unless carefully supervised. It is so common and doesn't mean you are not clean. It is worth treating the whole family at the same time, otherwise it just goes round and round. One pill each, done.(Even lice prefer clean hair!) It all just goes with the territory of having small children.

3littlefrogs · 10/09/2006 22:01

Only thing is, you can't take the pills if you are pregnant.

pinkchampagne · 10/09/2006 22:04

My ds2 had them a few months back & we got a banana flavoured liquid which the whole family were advised to take. It cleared up ds's threadworms pretty quickly.

kittywits · 10/09/2006 22:13

NHS direct should be shot for saying things like that, that's awful.
Threadworms like head lice are SO SO common in children. Whilst on holiday this summer ds2 was complaining of an itchy bum, I got him to bend over and hey presto there it was poking out and wriggling around. I just went to boots the next day and got the medicine, gave it to all the kids and now they're gone ( the worms, not the kids sadly ).
Ok so you get them to scrub under their finger nails ???... that's just not feasible is it. Kids grub around and get dirty, that's part of being a kid. You child hasn't got worms beacuse you're a failiure, they got worms 'cos they're a child, doing the normal things that kids do.
Please stop feeling bad. The chance are it will happen again at some point. Just one of the hazzards of having a young child. I can think of many, many worse thing that could happen. Forget it, really

tigi · 10/09/2006 22:20

ds kept pulling at his trousers, and then i saw some when he went to loo. Went straight to Asda pharmacy, and was given a family 'pill packet' one each, job done, no repeat of symptoms.

Original poster

bubblepop · 10/09/2006 22:36

but what about the baby, she's only 8 months, will she have to take medicene aswell? and my other little one is only two. god i fell pissed off.

OP posts:

fubsy · 10/09/2006 23:40

Last term my dd was complaining of an itchy bottom and also her vagina - asked school nurse who said that was a common sign of worms. Went to Boots who have their own brand of tablet, chewable, also do liquid. Pharmacist there said not really necessary to treat whole family unless showing symptoms, but I would speak to your own pharmacist as I know a lot of people say to treat others in case. The stuff I got says suitable for children over 2 years. Dont feel embarrassed - better to treat than to leave and let the irritation become a real problem.

kittywits · 11/09/2006 07:07

bubblepop, I think they have to be over 2 to take the medicine. It's not likely that your baby will have them though.

tigi · 11/09/2006 10:26

I took the family tablet as a precaution, although none of us had symptoms. Mine were over 2 though, the youngest was 4..

serenity · 11/09/2006 11:25

Thanks to my little brother (7 years younger) who used to pretty much live in the garden, I was still getting threadworms into my late teens. It's just one of those things you have to put up with when you have children unfortunately If it makes you feel any better, the last time we had them in the family (about 2 months ago) the way I found out was because I had them

Luckily we've avoided nits so far

pharmhaton · 11/09/2006 11:36

Hi there. I had them recently too. Am breastfeeding too so went down the hand hygeine own towel route because the advice is to take pripsen sachets (piperazine) and not breastfeed for 8 hours! In the end I realised, I could breastfeed. Didn't bother dosing dd who is nearly 8 months, but did dose dh.

I WOULD treat the whole family, but mebendazole (both pripsen and ovex TABLETS and Vermox liquid) is not suitable for those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or epileptic.

Pripsen SACHETS are ok from 3 months but wouldn't inflict them on my enemy! They taste DISGUSTING and contain Senna, so can give the trots. As far as breastfeeding goes, if they can take the drug THEMSELVES then there is no reason why you can't breastfeed them. The Senna though might give them loose bowels too!

If your baby had them, you would see them in the nappy.

orangeblosson59 · 12/09/2006 23:32

just discovered daughter has worms ,have only just got over the shock of head lice just wondering if she is going for the treble next one could be scabies they dont tell you all the delights of motherhood! this is my first message hope ive done it right im a bit of a computer virgin!!!!

jennster · 13/09/2006 09:20

Welcome Orange Blossom to the inauspicious (sp?) worms thread. Do you know your way round the site?

orangeblosson59 · 13/09/2006 09:32

hi jennster getting used to site nice to know other people are in the same boat i am now on day three of worm watch do you know how long you still find them after treatment felt i should keep her off school for another couple of days the site cheered me up and brought a smile to my face

jennster · 13/09/2006 10:56

No need to keep her off school. The hand hygiene thing is really important though, as is taking a repeat dose of the worming tablet 2 weeks later. The stuff works within hours, but you need the second dose, so that any eggs that may have already been laid are killed when these worms hatch.

Wearing knickers/underpants in bed is a good way of saving washing (ie no new pair of pyjamas every night) and make sure bum is washed properly to wash away any eggs.

orangeblosson59 · 13/09/2006 11:06

hi trying everything anti bac hand wash,antibac wipes and spray,boil washing underwear do you think i should strip bed every couple of days or is that going overboard? also how long will i keep finding worms on her poo or round her bot? so far so good with the rest of the family ! god i despise parasites thanks for replying finding the site great it covers so many topics so there is always someone who knows what you are going through!

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