Worms in children

Helmamples or worms are parasites that feed on the body of the host and release toxins that affect internal organs and systems. The most common groups are found in the body of needles and tapeworms, most often in young children, and do not interact with the external environment in the most hygienic way. Worms disrupt the absorption of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, as they lend themselves to their lives, and the poisoning of the products they emit damages the liver, gastrointestinal tract, and in severe cases without timely intervention - the muscles, lungs, eyes, brain.

Ways to get infected with worms:

• contact with land and water that contain parasitic wallpaper (sandpit and puddle are no exception);
• use of improperly processed products - may contain worm eggs from plant foods, meat, fish;
• disregard for hygiene;
• transmission of worms from mother to child during childbirth;
• regular contact with animals, especially street or outdoor animals;
• to visit a room with insects;
• contact with already infected children;
• low immunity;
• moving to another country, which is associated with body stress and incomplete acclimatization.

Based on the causes of the disease, it is not difficult to develop a minimum prevention system - to teach the child to wash their hands regularly, to feed them only with properly processed food, and to have a health check in the house. Nevertheless, no one has given up contact with street animals and licking the swing, the result being intestinal damage caused by parasites. Not all helminths appear immediately actively - they can be in "sleep" mode in the body for years, so regular monitoring is especially important for children.

Classification of parasites

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

The first group is the primary hollow worms. They live in soil and water, so we can easily get infected with them while walking in the sandpit and in general. This group includes the most common dumplings and tapeworms, and also includes hookworms, trichinella, and rishta. Depending on which parasite caused the infection, ascariasis, enterobiasis, trichocephalosis, etc. are isolated.

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

And the last of the three popular groups is trematosus-induced trematosis. These are several types of flatworms - schistosoma, feline / liver fluke, leucochloridium. They cause opisthorchiasis (spread by fish belonging to the Cypriot family) and fascioliasis (suffering from the liver and strawberry system, infection through plants or water).

Symptoms

There are a lot of symptoms, and private manifestations depend on which worm’s which egg got into the body. We will then talk about the common symptoms of all parasitic infections, then enterobiasis, ascariasis, and 5 other types of infections.

Common symptoms:

• increased irritability, restless sleep, decreased endurance and attentiveness, frequent tantrums and anger;
• increased appetite along with active weight loss;
• gastrointestinal symptoms - diarrhea, constipation, nausea, pain in the right hypochondria;
• dizziness and headache;
• food allergies;
• flow from the nose;
• diseases and infections of the reproductive system;
• brittle nails / hair;

Enterobiasis is helminthiasis in which fungi infect the body. The larvae escape from the eggs within 4-6 hours and become adults within 2-4 weeks - gray or white 5-10 mm long spindle worms. They settle in the cecum and appendix and lay their eggs outside the anus - at night the female worms go out into the air for this purpose. This reproductive mechanism causes severe itching at night - resulting in restless sleep, vomiting, screaming.

Other special symptoms:

• night urination;
• gnashing of teeth;

Ascariasis helminthiasis, in which the body is colonized by nematodes. These worms are already more significant - the average length of an adult is 25-30 cm. Larvae and eggs are not properly disinfected with fresh fruits and vegetables. The developmental period takes place in the intestines, after which they pass through the lymphatic system and blood vessels, and then settle throughout the body with the flow of blood and lymph - in the liver, heart and lungs. They then enter the oral cavity and swallow again. From this point on, adult tapeworms begin to develop. This takes about 3 months.

How to suspect the presence of worms in children:

• the liver, spleen, lymph nodes become enlarged;
• the temperature rises, sometimes to 38 degrees;
• malaise and weakness appear;
• respiratory pathologies develop - pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchial asthma;
• pressure drops;
• symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract - constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, pain contractions;
• fear of light;
• nightmares at night;
• dry cough - orange-colored secretions and bloody splashes.

Spindleworms are more difficult to breed than fungal worms, as the female lays nearly 250, 000 eggs a day. Under no circumstances should you rely on folk methods or buy the first medicine available at the pharmacy - be sure to consult a specialist.

These are not all worms that settle in the body in children. In total, there are more than 300 types of helminths in the world, and only 70 of them are found in Hungary. In addition to the two types listed, 5 other types are beginning to spread:

• trichocephalosis - characterized by a lack of both physical and intellectual development, but usually almost asymptomatic;
• opisthorchiasis - the temperature rises, the nodes in the lymphatic system increase, skin rashes appear;
• hymenolepiasis - the main consequence of rhinitis;
• toxocariasis - has a number of symptoms that distinguish it from other helminthiasis: keratitis, suffocation cough, ocular inflammation, chorioretinitis, swelling of the face;
• characterized by a broad tapeworm - anemia, intestinal disorders, abdominal pain.

Babies may show symptoms after a few weeks if, for example, they get wormwood and worm larvae from their mother during childbirth. Symptoms usually include lack of weight gain, copious salivation, rash, pallor, bluish under the eyes, and constipation. The child is constantly worried, screaming, sleeping and eating poorly. Screaming can be unbearable while the child turns blue.

Worms often cause the development of lung pathologies and are diagnosed by ultrasound or x-ray. Parasites, especially tapeworm echinococcus, can not only damage the respiratory system but also get to the brain and heart. In the developmental areas of the helminths in the lungs, scars and adhesions appear, and the shape of the lungs changes. Such changes provoke a number of diseases - asthma, fibrosis, bronchitis, pleurisy, emphysema, and so on. When the tapeworm enters the lungs, echinococcosis is formed when the parasite develops in the form of a cyst.

The symptoms depend largely on which helminth has entered the body, but they should warn parents about the child's concerns and the presence of the above general symptoms. If you have symptoms of worms, make an appointment with your pediatrician or gastroenterologist so that the tests can be done in time.

Diagnostics

Worms are diagnosed differently in children - depending on which worms the child is infected with, the habitat, the location of the eggs and the toxins in the body may be different.

The following can be assigned to the diagnosis:

• blood test - shows anemia, hemoglobin and eosinophil levels;
• analysis of parasites - in 99% of cases it helps to detect helminthiasis and in most cases - to determine the exact type (research biomaterial - blood from a vein);
• stool examination - there may be no eggs in the stool, even if there is an infection, to make sure the worms are present, this diagnosis should be made 3 times, which takes time;
• smear - especially effective in fungal infections, as eggs are located directly outside the anus;
• stool analysis for dysbiosis;
• if there is a suspicion of infection of internal organs and not only the gastrointestinal tract - CT, X-ray, ultrasound.

Diagnostics allows accurate identification of the type of parasite and prescribing a specific treatment. The doctor prescribes medications, diet, additional supportive procedures, and recommendations for care and hygiene.

In some cases, parents pay increased attention to helminthiasis and are constantly worried about their child’s infection. This leads to regular "preventive" treatment of serious anthelmintics that do not bring any benefit to the baby's body. If the child is not losing weight, is feeling well, is eating well, the facial skin is healthy, and the anus is not itchy, it is most likely healthy. If you want to make sure of this, you better investigate than take an unnecessary course.

Treatment

The process of treating worms in children consists of several stages - preparation, therapy and cleansing. Restorative prophylaxis should be performed during the entire treatment and hygiene should be carefully observed to avoid re-infection or re-infection of any family member. Certain types of worms, such as tapeworms or echinococcus, can only be removed surgically.

The preparation phase involves the intake of sorbents, which absorb toxins and cleanse the body. This is followed by antihistamines, which relieve general itching and prevent the development of allergic reactions to the medication.

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

• the first course kills already developed individuals;
• the second course will help you cope with larvae and eggs (2 weeks after the first).

The purpose of cleansing is to rid the body of the remains of dead parasites, at this stage sorbents, enemas, choleretic drugs are used. You can help your baby by adding raw carrots, dairy products, coarse bread, fruits, vegetables, fish oil, nuts, especially nuts and peanuts to your diet.

In addition, vitamin complexes, iron, minerals, special diet can be used to restore the body in case of severe lesions, which increases hemoglobin, restores liver function and strengthens the body as a whole. Your doctor will describe your treatment plan in detail to avoid any side effects. Control tests are mandatory. Self-medication and deviation from the plan are not allowed.

Consequences of untreated parasitic infections

Helminthiasis poses a serious risk and can result in any death or significant health problems if left untreated. An infected child is a danger to the whole family and the environment as it means the spread of the disease.

Complications of worms in children:

• inflammatory exacerbation of appendicitis;
• epileptic seizures;
• multiple types of visual impairment;
• allergic reactions with copious nasal discharge;
• lags behind their peers in development;
• genital infections, most commonly in girls - vulvovaginitis;
• various pulmonary manifestations, up to bronchial asthma;
• in severe cases - damage to the brain and heart.

Prophylaxis

In order to avoid the need to treat worms in children at all, prevention should be actively involved, consisting of both daily precautions and hygiene procedures and the use of medications.

Here's how to protect your baby from parasitic infections:

• observe hygiene - wash the child's hands regularly, bathe;
• take care of toys regularly - washing and cleaning (all toys must be disinfected after diagnosis);
• cut your nails as often as possible, clean every day;
• ironing after washing;
• get rid of bad habits - sucking fingers, feathers, chewing nails;
• give only boiled water to drink and explain the reasons;
• avoid swimming in natural reservoirs;
• use repellents (insects often carry the eggs of worms), destroy any insects that enter the house;
• check your pets regularly for parasites;
• wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, perform appropriate heat treatment on meat and halon.

Some types of helminthiasis are difficult to treat, so prophylaxis is recommended to avoid infection. When they contact the clinic, parents will receive full advice on how to properly implement prevention to avoid future problems.