Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

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

70 replies

shimmy21 · 19/09/2006 13:58

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.

OP posts:
weblette · 21/09/2006 16:16

Thank goodness for this thread ehem. It's describing exactly what dd has. It's not the sort of thing I'd bother the GP with and as previous posters have said, it's not something generally discussed. Off to the chemist I go...
Thanks!

Elibean · 23/09/2006 15:03

Resurrecting this, um, thread to ask if checking bums at night, and poos on a regular basis, is reliable?

dd (2.9) has a slightly sore, red, and occasionally itchy (not more so at night than in day) vagina at the moment, and I will take her to the GP but meantime am wondering about threadworms. dh says he's fine, and I occasionally feel itchy but thats because I'm pregnant and have awful piles

I've checked dd's anus/perineum with torch an hour after she's gone to sleep, and its easy to check poos as they're usually in the potty. Nothing. I'm hoping its thrush, tbh, but have a sinking feeling about worms for some reason.

Thoughts, O Experienced Worm-Masters?

orangeblosson59 · 23/09/2006 16:45

dd told me she saw something in her poo i checked but couldnt see anything so checked her once she was sleeping first 4 times nothing then on 5 attempt they were waving at me! her bot wasnt itchy but thinking back she had scratched her front during the day! treated her last week and every one gets the follow up dose this week hope the little one is ok very uncomfortable for her

Twinkie1 · 23/09/2006 16:53

DD has had them 3 times and it is infuriating - but the loos at their school are pretty awful - I have brought it up with the PTA and they spoke to the teachers and the Head and they basically said that they ream the kids out about making sure you go to the loo, flush properly and wash your hands but other than that there is nothing they can do - and I agree with them other than the fact that loos aren't cleaned throughout the day and with so many kids using them I think they should be.

Used OVEX on DD and on DH because he had them and he was furious!!

I do thin that a nationwide campaign would be helpful - but as with NITS it seems to be the same kids that get them all of the time and as in my daughters class the mum doesn't seem to bloody well care!!

hazelnuts · 23/09/2006 17:10

When My DS1 had them, I found out that they can be caught from eating uncooked veg/salad bits. So its very easy to get them. There are tablets you can get now to treat worms. Just ask at your chemest

orangeblosson59 · 23/09/2006 19:02

totally agree with you about a high profile campaign only in the last couple of years are you seeing stuff about head lice so feel the same should be done for this till dd caught them i hadnt been checking as you never hear of outbreaks but someone must have had them for dd to have caught it now its in our routine since finding mn dont feel so bad knowing im not coping alone we are all in the same boat

Elibean · 23/09/2006 19:24

Still nothing to be seen in dd's poos - have checked every one for days. Will have another go with the torch tonight
I had a look after her bath, and there is a red sore place in her labia at the top end near the urethra....further back looks ok, anus is fine.
Still could be worms though, right?

My BIL caught them from eating unwashed fruit once, I remember

Elibean · 23/09/2006 19:26

Would love to blame nursery, but if it IS worms - she's only been there two weeks, and apparently it takes at least three weeks for eggs to hatch and become mature itch-causing adults.
But it does seem nuts that people talk about nits as though they were nothing these days, but never threadworms - yet once I started asking Mums of older kids, oh yes, they've all had them!

Elibean · 23/09/2006 19:32

thanks, orangeblossom...she doesn't seem unduly disturbed at the moment, and its not waking her up or anything. I'm disturbed though, this is all new to me
If you don't mind me asking, do you remember if your dd itched more in the bath? Seems the warmish water makes dd more uncomfortable...

orangeblosson59 · 23/09/2006 20:34

didnt notice her itching in the bath at all and she wasnt red or inflammed at all this was our first time i think it was from school with dd as she had started 4 weeks ago let me know how you get on hope it clears up soon

noonar · 23/09/2006 20:51

shimmy, i've always been a bit prone to them, despite excellent hygeine had a real infestation in greece years ago. sorry- TMI! but didnt think you could catch them from someone else unless they'd touched your food or were in very close contact! i had them when pg and got rid of them with a garlic concoction. ask neils yard.

booge · 23/09/2006 20:56

Oh my God, reading this thread has brought back the nightmare that was Pripsen, I still can't drink strawberry milkshake to this day without gagging. Bane of my childhood.

Kelly1978 · 23/09/2006 21:00

I went to gp yest, cos of dd still complaining of itching. I don't normally go to gps. I dont really have a lot of faith in them for a number of reasons. I only really went because of ss involvement at present. Anyway they gave me more medication for dd, and for my other three. I collected it, got home and the info says it is not suitable for under 2s. I was told to give this to my 18mo dts. I was furious!
Maybe slighlt off on a tangent

Anyhow, does anyone know how long medication generally takes to work. I dosed dd up last sat, and she was complaining of itchiness again on thurs eve.

Blandmum · 23/09/2006 21:14

Kelly, re the nderage use, many products are licenced for use over a particular age.

Doctors often prescrivbe them for younger patients. 'off licence' use of drugs is very common

Elibean · 23/09/2006 21:27

thanks again, orangeblossom. Just checked her (an hour after she fell asleep) and nothing.
I, of course, have been itching and twitching (all over, though, hypochondriac that I am) ever since I started thinking dd might have them.
Think we will hold off any treatments until Monday, and keep checking till then...and see gp.
Meantime, can anyone remember the homeopathic stuff thats ok to take when pregnant? Is it Cina??

Elibean · 23/09/2006 21:30

What IS the best way to do regular checks, btw? Is it just looking at poos, or torch patrol? Or something else I have yet to discover (please no!)?

WideWebWitch · 23/09/2006 21:36

Are we just bloody lucky then, we've never had them and dd is nearly 9, dd nearly 3. We would KNOW, wouldn't we? We'll get em now I've typed that, won't we?

Eve · 23/09/2006 21:39

Horrid,

my two have got them in the past. Now I use grafefruit seed extract. A few drops of this in a glass of water at the 1st sign of itching or even if they have digging in the garden, in the sea etc, keep them at bay.

Grapefurit seed extract is a natural anti-parasitic

Elibean · 23/09/2006 22:17

Eve, can you take it when pregnant, do you know?

Kelly1978 · 23/09/2006 22:20

mb, but surely they are licensed for over a certain age for a reason? I'm confused.

orangeblosson59 · 23/09/2006 22:25

hi ladies you can catch them from touching an infected toy or food etc if someone infected has touched it first ,then you touch your mouth or ive heard you can also inhale the eggs as they can be in the house dust as they are so microscopic hence the need for a major blitz if anyone in the house has it in our case with the medication we all took it yuck!!! on the tues still saw wrigglers on the wed poo but since then nothing will take 2nd dose this week ive bought disposable gloves and broke the poo up a few times to inspect not pleasant but made me feel better if nothing found the things we do for our darling children felt this was easier than the nit situation!!!!!

Elibean · 23/09/2006 22:30

orangeblossom, which medication did you take? You make me feel better saying its better than nits....I am sort of worm-phobic, can't imagine anythign worse (which is probably why I'm getting too obsessed with this!) would much rather nits. Famous last words, no doubt

orangeblosson59 · 23/09/2006 22:37

where did you buy the grapefruit seed extract i tried holland and barret didnt have it only tablets and was told not suitable for 5 year old

SherlockLGJ · 23/09/2006 22:39

WWW

Of course you will, they were on the keyboard.

orangeblosson59 · 23/09/2006 22:47

easier to talk about it on line as people you meet at nursery or school dont talk about it or have a clue that there is a problem they wont admit or just dont know their dd or ds has the wrigglers we all took prispen not too bad dd was great we made it into a competition to see who could drink it fastest ive got to admit im not very good with any sort of parasites usually get the boke or the runs at the thought of them but there is always an end to the problem look on the bright side it could be alot worse and we all know how you feel husband now calling me howard hughs and could be in danger of developing ocd [checking bots and bone combing hair being my little compulsion! happy hunting!!!!!!! hope you dont find anything!!!