YOUR CHILD HAS WORMS - are you doing something about it?

[shimmy21]

Sorry to be graphic but I'm trying shock tactics as I'm so fed up and feel the need to raise awareness...

Up to 40% of children AT ANY ONE TIME are thought to have threadworms. Do you know if yours is one of the 40? Do you know the symptoms? Did you know the eggs that are spread via fingers and mouths are invisible and can be on loo flush handles, clothes, food, hands etc etc etc? You do not need to have played in soil, stroked an animal or touched anything 'wormy' to catch them. In fact you simply need to have been to a place where there are other children. Even the most scrupulous hand washing regime cannot always protect against the odd stray dirty finger in the mouth.

My kids have yet again been infected. I'm absolutely sick of the rigmarole of boil washing all the sheets, towels etc etc and dosing the family with drugs.

Parents and children all seem so aware about headlice - we're all quite happy to admit to that these days, aren't we? - yet mention thread worms and a deathly hush falls across the school playground. No info comes from schools about this although we get termly letters pleading with us to check for nits.

In case you don't know - main symptom is an extremely itchy anus particularly at bedtime. If you check you may actually see the little b#strds on loo paper, poo or anus itself. If one member of the family has them it is highly likely that they've been passed around so treat the others (including adults) even if there are no symptoms, change all the bedding, towels, pyjamas etc

Perhaps going round with a banner 'My kids have had threadworms' is a little OTT? but if just one person reads this thread and thinks 'could my ds/dd be infected?' checks and treats then perhaps it'll prevent a few more of your children having to go through the same thing.

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wrong there Cod. As I say my family and myself have been infected more than once. Absolutely no pain. Just severe itching.

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yes. I'm standing proud, shouting from the rooftops. I've had worms and so have 40% of you!!

Warning - can assist weight loss only as part of a calorie-controlled diet

Anyway cod, you're a fish, you don't get threadworms. You get liver fluke.

around 20% of children symptom-free with threadworms

dd has it, realised on fri. I was debating about whether or not to let the school know, but lkike you say if you mention worms then you get the 'deadly hush'. But I do think that the school needs to make sure that kids are washing their hands properly, I'm not expecting them to supervise, but they could talk to the children abouot handwashing and encourage them to wash hands before eating lunch.

I told DS1's old school, when he had them. They put up a sign, saying a child in the class had threadworms, so other parents knew to check their kids ...

Dd was distraught with itching and night time pain when she had it, so we definitely won't miss those symptoms!

There are things you can eat that help deter them - pumpkin seeds and garlic spring to mind. I used to HATE the milkshake type medicine my mum made me take for them. DD1 had them a lot and had itchy bottom at night that would keep her awake - she sucked her fingers lots when younger.

Haven't checked recently - impetigo has been our little battle in the past year. Another boil bedlinen and towels type experience. Grrr. I'd never even heard of impetigo until a few years ago.

It is absolutely infuriating. There must have been a child in ds's class who seemed to have them permanently and ds kept getting re-infected. I would dose everybody and go through all the hoovering, washing, changing bed linen, towels etc. The school simply were not interested, would not give out any information / educational material etc. We had been through this rigmarole 4 times - I would get him clear all through the school hols, then 14 - 21 days after the start of term off we would go again. Then, after I found I was pregnant, I wrote a very strongly worded letter to the head, and copied it to the school nurse(c/o health authority) and the governers stating that if he got them again I would not be able to take the necessary medication etc, and pointing out that I had spent in excess of #70 (no pound sign)that year, not to mention all the washing etc. I said I thought they were being negligent by not providing information to all parents so that everyone could check their children. Also, I found the kids were using a communal drinking cup in the wash room, so I had a rant about that too. They did produce a rather pathetic little photocopied leaflet, but obviously thought I was making a fuss about nothing.

felt i had to reply discovered dd had worms last week [our first time] usually nits spoke to the school they were very nice but didnt seem to know much about it dd only just started school! its a bit like the nit situation not a school problem,not a health dept problem have been told its a community problem lot of crap just too many parents not checking children for any of these ailments cant believe education auth will not letter parents when there is an outbreak of this sort of thing!!!!

I still vividly remember being forced to drink "fruit flavoured" water as a little girl (infant school age) which was the worming powder stuff and vomiting it all over my new slipper-boots It was FOUL

to be honest I feel like regularly worming all of us - I mean, the dog gets wormed monthly at the moment, why not the children?

I always catch them from the children, too. Gross.
Have become totally paranoid about it and check dd1's (the only one who doesn't wear a nappy at night) bottom regularly, but they still manage to take hold. Bane of my life.

still on a night patrol checking bots and to be gross the poos as well!husband thinks im a bit ott but i would rather keep on top of the problem we have still to take follow up dose but from what i can see hopefully it was only dd after this episode will always check as bone combing is all part of our routine now for the last couple of years

Ah, the turds that wave back!

The whole family has to be done because you can easily inhale the eggs. This often happens when you make the beds, the eggs are microcopic and float in the air like dust.

Some female works dry out and explode, spreading their eggs into the air....and to thinnk we moan about labour, eh?

by god your going to give me nightmares husband is already calling me howard hughs dont know if i can carry off face mask and all in one jumpsuit for the next infestation

But think how stylish you will look

I can elaborate, if you like

dont bother!!! as i have the more curvacious figure i can picture the white material strainging at the seams with a sweaty red face peeking out from behind the mask[wink ]i wonder if it would do anything for darling hubby thought not

YUCK!

But thanks so much for highlighting this - I had no idea it was this common. I will check out my children and try hard not to think about 'worms easily spreading tot he vagina'....!

Great way to raise awareness - hope you are not plagued again in the future.

I don't think mine has got worms, but should that happen what is the best thing to give to your child to get rid of them?
Thanks
Linda