Worms in children

Helminths or worms are parasites that feed on the host's body and release toxins that affect organs and internal systems. The most common groups are worms and roundworms, they are most often found in the body of young children, interacting with the external environment in non-hygienic ways. Worms interfere with the assimilation of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, as they borrow for life and intoxication from the products they release damages the liver, gastrointestinal tract and in severe cases without timely intervention - muscles, lungs, eyes, brain.

Ways of infection with worms:

• contact with soil and water, which contain parasitic eggs (sand pits and ponds are no exception);
• use of products that have not undergone proper processing - plant foods, meat, fish may contain worm eggs;
• hygiene negligence;
• transmission of worms from mother to child during birth;
• regular contact with animals, especially stray animals, or those coming out;
• visits to an insect room;
• contact with already infected children;
• low immunity;
• movement to another location, associated with body stress and incomplete acclimatization.

Based on the causes of the disease, it is not difficult to develop a minimal prevention system - to teach the child to wash his hands regularly, to feed him only with properly processed foods and to provide sanitary control at home. However, no one canceled the contact with the street animals and licking the swing, the result is intestinal damage by parasites. Not all helminths are immediately manifested actively - they can be in the body in a "sleeping" state for years, so regular check-ups, especially for children, are extremely important.

Classification of parasites

Different types of worms do not affect the body in the same way, and have their own characteristics both in the development cycle and in appearance and damage. There are three most common groups of worms - nematodes, cestodoses, trematodes.

The first group is the primary cavity worms. They live on land and water, so it is easy to get infected with them in the sand pit and generally on foot. This group includes needle worms and the most common roundworms, and this also includes needle worms, trichinella, rhizomes. Depending on which parasite caused the infection, ascariasis, enterobiasis, trichocephaly, etc. are distinguished.

Cestodoses are tapeworms that can live both in the intestines (the most common variant is tapeworms) and in organs (usually tapeworm larvae, echinococci, alveococci live there). Depending on which of these types of worms is found in children, echinococcosis, teniasis, hymenolepiasis, etc. are distinguished.

And the last of the three known groups are trematoses caused by trematodes. These are some of the types of flatworms - schistosomiasis, cat / liver stroke, leukochloride. They provoke opisthorchiasis (transmitted by fish of the cyprinid family) and fascioliasis (suffer liver and biliary system, infection through plants or water).

Symptoms

There are many symptoms, and private manifestations depend on which eggs of which helminths have entered the body. We will then talk about the common symptoms for all parasitic infections and then about enterobiasis, ascariasis and 5 other types of infections.

Common symptoms:

• increased irritability, disturbed sleep, decreased persistence and attention, frequent irritability and anger;
• increased appetite associated with active weight loss;
• symptoms of the digestive system - diarrhea, constipation, nausea, pain in the right hypochondrium;
• dizziness and headache;
• food allergies;
• flows from the nose;
• diseases and infections of the reproductive system;
• brittle nails / hair;

Enterobiasis is helminthiasis, in which worms infect the body. The larvae hatch within 4-6 hours, in 2-4 weeks they become adults - round gray or white worms 5-10 mm long. They lay in the caecum and appendix and lay eggs outside the anus - at night, female worms emerge into the air for this purpose. This reproductive mechanism leads to severe itching at night - hence restless sleep, shaking and twirling, screaming.

Special additional symptoms:

• urination at night;
• gnashing of teeth;

Ascariasis is helminthiasis, in which the body is colonized by roundworms. These worms are already more significant - the average length of an adult is 25-30 cm. Larvae and eggs enter the body with insufficiently disinfected fresh fruits and vegetables. The developmental period takes place in the intestines, after which they pass into the lymphatic and blood vessels, and with the flow of blood and lymph settle throughout the body - in the liver, heart, lungs. They then enter the oral cavity and are swallowed again. From this point on, adult roundworms begin to develop. This lasts about 3 months.

How to suspect the presence of worms in children:

• liver, spleen, lymph nodes are enlarged;
• the temperature rises, sometimes up to 38 degrees;
• regret and weakness appear;
• respiratory pathologies develop - pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchial asthma;
• pressure drop;
• symptoms appear from the gastrointestinal tract - constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, pain in the form of contractions;
• fear of light;
• nightmares;
• dry cough - orange-colored phlegm and bloody sputum.

Breeding roundworms is more difficult than worms, as the female lays almost 250, 000 eggs every day. Under no circumstances should you rely on folk remedies or buy the first medicine available at a pharmacy - be sure to contact a specialist.

These are not all worms in children that colonize the body. In total there are more than 300 species of helminths in the world and 70 of them are found only in our country. In addition to the two species listed, 5 other species are spreading:

• trichocephaly - characterized by a delay in both physical and intellectual development, but is generally almost asymptomatic;
• opisthorchiasis - the temperature rises, the joints of the lymphatic system grow, redness of the skin appears;
• hymenolepiasis - the main consequence is rhinitis;
• toxocariasis - there are many symptoms that distinguish it from other helminthiases: keratitis, whooping cough, ophthalmia, chorioretinitis, swelling of the face;
• wide strip - characterized by anemia, intestinal disorders, abdominal pain.

Babies may show symptoms after a few weeks of life if they receive eggs and worm larvae from their mother, for example, during birth. As a rule, the symptomatology is manifested in the form of lack of weight gain, large saliva, redness, pallor, blueness under the eyes and constipation. The child is constantly anxious, screams, sleeps and eats poorly. Screaming can be unbearable and the baby will turn blue during the process.

Worms are often the cause of the development of pulmonary pathologies and are diagnosed using ultrasound or X-ray. The parasites, in particular, tapeworm echinococcus, can damage not only the respiratory system, but also move further into the brain and heart. In areas of development of helminths in the lungs, sores appear, adhesions, the shape of the lungs begins to change. Such changes provoke a wide range of diseases - asthma, fibrosis, bronchitis, pleurisy, emphysema, etc. When the tapeworm enters the lungs, echinococcosis is formed, when the parasite develops in the form of a cyst.

The symptoms will depend mainly on which helminth has entered the body, but the concern of the child and the presence of the above general symptoms should alert the parents. If you have signs of worms, make an appointment with your pediatrician or gastroenterologist to have the tests done in a timely manner.

Diagnosing

Diagnosis of worms in children is made in different ways - depending on which worm the child is infected with, the habitat, the location of the eggs and the toxins found in the body will vary.

For the diagnosis can be assigned:

• blood test - shows levels of anemia, hemoglobin and eosinophils;
• analysis for parasites - in 99% of cases helps to detect helminthiasis, and in most cases - to accurately determine the type (biomaterial for research - blood from a vein);
• stool examination - there may be no eggs in the stool, even if there is infection, to make sure for the presence of worms, this diagnosis should be performed 3 times, which takes time;
• staining - especially effective for worm infection, as their eggs are found outside the anus;
• fecal analysis for dysbiosis;
• if there is a suspicion of infection of internal organs, and not only of the gastrointestinal tract - CT, X-ray, ultrasound.

Diagnosis allows you to accurately identify the type of parasite and prescribe a specific treatment. The doctor prescribes medication, diet, additional support procedures, gives recommendations for care and hygiene.

In some cases, parents pay more attention to helminthiasis and are constantly worried about their child's infection. This leads to regular "preventive" courses of serious anthelmintic drugs, which bring no benefit to the baby's body. If the child does not lose weight, feels good, eats well, has a healthy complexion and there is no itching in the anus, he is most likely to be healthy. If you want to convince yourself of this, it is better to be tested than to take an unnecessary course.

Treatment

The course of worm therapy in children includes several stages - preparation, therapy and cleansing. Throughout the treatment, it is necessary to carry out restorative prophylaxis and to observe careful hygiene to avoid reinfection or infection of one of the family members. Some types of worms, such as tapeworms or echinococci, can only be removed with surgery.

The preparatory phase involves taking sorbents that absorb toxins and cleanse the body. They are followed by antihistamines, they relieve general itching and prevent the development of allergic reactions to medications.

The treatment of helminthiasis in children in the main stage is the direct intake of anthelmintic drugs in the form of tablets, suppositories or suspensions. Medications are selected depending on the type of helminth, individual indications and contraindications. Some anthelmintics work in 2 steps:

• the first course kills already developed individuals;
• the second course helps to cope with the larvae and eggs (set 2 weeks after the first).

Cleansing is created to remove the body from the remnants of dead parasites, at this stage sorbents, enemas, choleretic medicines are used. You can help your baby by adding raw carrots, dairy products, whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables, fish oil, nuts, especially nuts and peanuts to your diet.

In addition, complexes of vitamins, iron, minerals, a special diet can be used to restore the body in case of serious lesions, which will increase hemoglobin, restore liver function and strengthen the body as a whole. The doctor describes in detail the treatment plan, avoiding the appearance of side effects. Control tests are mandatory. Self-medication and deviation from the plan is not allowed.

Consequences of untreated parasitic infections

Helminthiasis is fraught with a serious risk; without treatment, everything can end in death or significant health problems. An infected child is a danger to the whole family and the environment, as it is the spread of the disease.

Complications of worms in children:

• inflammatory deterioration of the appendix;
• epileptic seizures;
• visual impairment of some types;
• allergic reactions with profuse runny nose;
• stagnation behind developing peers;
• genital infections, most common in girls - vulvovaginitis;
• various types of pulmonary manifestations, up to bronchial asthma;
• in severe cases - brain and heart damage.

Prophylaxis

In order for the treatment of worms in children not to be required at all, it is necessary to actively engage in prevention, which consists of both precautions and daily hygiene procedures, as well as taking medication.

How to protect your child from parasitic infection:

• observe hygiene - wash the baby's hands regularly, wash him;
• take care of toys regularly - washing and cleaning (after diagnosis, all toys should be disinfected);
• Cut nails as often as possible, clean daily;
• ironing clothes after washing;
• give up bad habits - finger sucking, pens, nail biting;
• give to drink only boiled water and explain the reasons;
• avoid swimming in natural reservoirs;
• use repellents (insects often lay worm eggs), destroy all insects that enter the house;
• regularly check pets for parasites;
• wash fruits and vegetables well, carry out sufficient heat treatment of meat and fish.

Some types of helminthiasis are difficult to treat, so we recommend prophylaxis to avoid infection. When contacting the clinic, parents will receive comprehensive advice on how to properly perform prevention to avoid problems in the future.