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Ask Dr. Sue
PINWORMS
Dear Dr. Sue,
I took my daughter to the doctor recently because of her
continually scratching at her bottom. I thought
she probably had a yeast infection or was allergic to
the soap or detergent we were using. The doctor
looked at her bottom, did a test, and then told me
she had pinworms! I was too unnerved, (and grossed
out) to really ask very many questions. Mainly I want to
know how she got these! And will she get them
again? And is it dangerous in any way? We
were given medicine for her father and me as well.
Worried
Dear Worried,
Relax and don't feel so bad! Pinworms are a very
common infestation of young children, and can be spread
(and therefore obtained) any place that children
congregate together, whether that is
school, church or the park playground. It has been
estimated that somewhere between 15 and 40% of all
children have pinworms at some time before the age of
12. Children with pinworms do
scratch at their bottoms frequently (because they itch
terribly). When they do this, the pinworm eggs,
which are laid just on the outside of the anus, get
picked up on their fingernails. To spread
them to another child, all that is needed is
hand-to-hand contact and then for the "victim" to touch
her mouth or put her fingers in her mouth. Pinworm
eggs can also survive on surfaces like toys and
countertops for up to 2-3 weeks according to some
sources.
Pinworms can often cause rectal pain, as well as the
severe itch, and have even been known to cause abdominal
pain. They also often move into the vagina in
little girls, causing pain and itching there. Another
possible sign of pinworms is irritability from the sleep
disturbance they may cause; the discomfort is often
worse at night when the adult worms come out to lay
their eggs. Remember, too, that many children with
pinworms have no symptoms at all.
You can often diagnose pinworms in your child without
the help of a special test. The best way to do
this is to go into your child's room several hours after
she has fallen asleep, or first thing in the morning
before she wakes up. Take a flashlight with you.
Gently slide down her pajama bottoms, without waking her
up (good luck!), and then look around her anus for
little thread-like substances that are about 1/4th
inches long. The test to confirm pinworms consists
of a sticky paddle or piece of transparent tape being
placed against her anus and then looked at under the
microscope. The eggs, and worms if any were picked
up, are very easily seen.
Try not to bathe your child or apply any creams or
ointments to her bottom the night before or the morning
of the doctor's appointment, as these may interfere with
the test.
Pinworms are treated with a prescription medication,
usually Vermox. It is quite safe and usually
causes no particular side-effects when treating this
worm, though sometimes you might notice diarrhea or some
abdominal discomfort. It is a chewable tablet,
given once, and then often repeated two weeks later to
kill any newly hatched worms. (This is my
preference.) Some doctors will treat
everyone in the family at the first episode; others will
just treat the child with symptoms unless the problem
comes back.
After your child was treated you may have noticed
visible worms in her stool, and some of them may have
been moving. This is common and does not mean that
she won't get rid of the worms.
It's a good idea to wash your child's sheets, hand and
bath towels, pajamas and robe in hot water after she is
treated.
Your child certainly could get pinworms again, the same
way she got them the first time. This time,
however, you would probably recognize the symptoms
earlier, and might even get to see the little critters
with your own eyes using the flashlight method.
Rest assured that this problem can happen to any child,
in any family, and is not a reflection of poor
parenting, uncleanliness or any other defect in your
child or home. Pinworms also presents no medical
risk to your child; it is just a nuisance to both of
you.
 
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