Helminthic infestations in children.

Malika Rakhimdzhanovna Tashmukhamedova, a pediatrician and gastroenterologist at the VITAMED MEDICAL clinic, will talk in this article about helminthic infestations in children:

“Dear parents, the season for outdoor recreation and trips to resort towns has arrived. For this reason, I would like to discuss with you the topic of helminthic infestations in children. Children, due to the immaturity of the child’s body, unformed immune system, low level of stomach acidity, active exploration of the world with frequent violations of personal hygiene rules, become vulnerable to helminths. And surprisingly, it often happens that it is from children that all other family members become infected.

        
  How can children become infected with worms?

They can become infected from domestic and stray animals, from infected children and adults, through dirty hands, sand, water, unwashed fruits and vegetables, raw or thermally poorly processed meat, when drinking raw water from natural bodies of water and swimming in them. Once in the child’s oral cavity, worm eggs pass, partially destroyed, through the acidic, aggressive environment of the stomach and are activated in the intestines, where the conditions for the development of adult individuals from eggs are most favorable. According to expert parasitologists, children of preschool and school age are infected with worms in 80% of cases. Moreover, only every third sick child has obvious symptoms. This means that most children experience the disease in a latent form and do not undergo the necessary anthelmintic therapy.

 

How dangerous are worms for a child’s body?

The fact is that worms, using the host’s nutrients for their development, as well as disrupting their absorption in the intestines and poisoning the child’s body with metabolic products, negatively affect the child’s health. A cheerful and active child can become lethargic, capricious, and absent-minded. Some helminths (whipworms, hookworms) feed on blood, which leads to anemia. In 80% of girls, due to the migration of pinworms from the perianal area to the genitals, secondary vulvitis and vulvovaginitis develop. With ascariasis, toxocariasis, and echinococcosis, helminth larvae damage the lung tissue, which leads to alveolitis, peribronchitis, and perivasculitis. When a secondary infection occurs, pneumonia is possible.

With helminthiasis, the liver and bile ducts are often affected. Inflammatory reactions are observed in the liver in the form of proliferation of granulation tissue. Pronounced changes with the formation of multiple cysts in the liver occur with echinococcosis and alveococcosis.

The World Health Organization (WHO) noted that among the causes that can cause a secondary immunodeficiency state, protozoal and helminthic infestations come first.

What clinical signs in a child should alert parents? These are:

• drooling,

• bad breath (especially in the morning),

• nausea,

• loss of appetite or pathological increase in it,

• cramping pain around the navel or without a specific localization,

• bowel disorders (diarrhea, constipation),

• increased fatigue,

• frequent headaches or dizziness,

• allergies, especially food allergies,

• prolonged cough that does not respond to adequate therapy,

• pallor and blueness under the eyes,

• increased excitability of the child in the evening, difficulty falling asleep and poor night sleep, accompanied by screams, awakenings, fidgeting, grinding of teeth, itching in the perineum,

• causeless whims, weakening of memory, irritability, decreased academic performance, retardation in neuropsychic development,

• increase in body temperature for no apparent reason,

• pain in the lower extremities,

• frequent seizures in the corners of the mouth, alopecia, facial dyschromia.

 Parents, remember! Symptoms of helminths in children are varied, that is, they do not differ in any specific feature, they are characteristic of many diseases, so sometimes it is difficult to establish a diagnosis based only on clinical signs. It happens that a child is treated for a long time for some chronic disease, for example, for a cough, for chronic anemia, for recurrent stomatitis, for a neurological pathology, for allergies, and the cause turns out to be helminths. Therefore, if your child has at least one of the above-described signs of the disease, check your child for helminthic infestation!

How can you check your child for worms?

         1. Microscopic examination of stool for the presence of helminth eggs and larvae (three stool tests).

2. Blood to detect antibodies to parasites.

3. Complete blood test for the presence of eosinophils and anemia.

The need for other laboratory research methods and instrumental diagnostic methods is decided by the attending physician.

What should be the further tactics of parents if helminthiasis is detected in a child?

First of all, you need to contact a specialist! Self-medication is prohibited, since all chemical anthelmintic drugs are toxic to the liver and kidneys. In addition, for each helminth there is a specific drug that only a doctor can prescribe!

If worms are found in a child or one of the family members, it is necessary to examine and, if necessary, treat the entire family in order to avoid the formation of a focus of infection. In this situation, it is important to strengthen hygiene measures, in particular, boil and iron bedding and personal linen on both sides.

How to avoid infection with worms?

• all family members follow the rules of hygiene, try to avoid close contact of the child and his personal belongings with pets;

• on the street, it is important to ensure that the child does not pick up various objects and avoid contact with animals;

• it is important to instill in your child personal hygiene skills (wash hands with soap after going outside and going to the toilet);

• it is advisable to periodically wet clean the house, wash toys with soap, especially if you have pets, as well as toys brought into the house from a walk; vacuum carpets, upholstered furniture and soft toys;

• do not give your child unwashed vegetables and fruits, insufficiently heat-treated meat and fish, raw water from natural reservoirs;

• if there are animals in the house, they must also be given anti-worm tablets every six months, wash them often and wash the things they play with, and disinfect the places where they sleep;

• It is also important in the prevention of helminthic infestations to check the child’s stool for the presence of parasites 2 times a year.

Parents, remember! Only your parental care and attention, as well as early training in the rules of personal hygiene for your child, can prevent helminthic infestations, as well as many other infectious and parasitic diseases. 

You can ask any questions you are interested in by sending a request by email or by contacting us by phone:

info@vitamed.uz
(+998 71) 129-81-81
(+998 71) 129-82-82

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Be healthy and take care of your loved ones!