All you need to know about deworming babies – Part 2

In the last article,  I talked about worm infestations and how your little ones can catch them. In this article, I will discuss the various symptoms associated with worm infestation, and how you can easily prevent and cure it.

Symptoms to look out for:

Worm often latch on to your kids stealthily, with symptoms that are often ignored. So it is important that you know them all thoroughly and be ever vigilant:

• Loss of appetite due to the pain or discomfort in the tummy
• Anemia – especially with hookworms
• Some sort of  rash or hives
• Nausea
• Itching or pain around the anus, where the worms entered – this is true particularly for        thread or pinworms
• Constant cough
• Painful and frequent urination due  to urinary tract infection – this is more common in girls
• Blood in stool
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• General irritation and loss of weight

According to World Health Organization (WHO), periodic treatment (deworming) of children together with the improvement of water and sanitation facilities, and adequate health education can reduce the transmission of schistosoma and soil-transmitted helminth infections. 
“WHO recommends periodic treatment with anthelmintic (deworming) medicines, to all at-risk people living in endemic areas.” WHO also quotes “Treatment can be given once or twice a year depending on the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infections in the community“.

Who are at risk:

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The following population groups are considered high risk when it comes to worm infestations and as you can clearly deduce, toddler and school-age children have the highest chance of contracting this condition.

Toddlers and Pre-schoolers (1-5 years)

 Women of childbearing age (including pregnant women in the second and third trimesters and breastfeeding women).

How can I protect my baby from it?

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You can protect your baby from this disease by following these easy steps:

• Wash hands well with soap after playing outdoors or with pets and before each meal.            
• Change your baby’s nappy regularly.
• Only eat salads, fruits, and vegetables that have been washed well.
• Do not eat undercooked meat.
• Always ensure that your kids wear shoes when outside, whether at daycare, in school or at the park or pool.
• Keep your toilet clean.
• Make sure your kids swims in pools where hygiene norms are met.
• Make sure that your kids always drink boiled or filtered water.
• Make sure your kid never shares his or her water bottle at school .
• Keep your child away from sand pits and moist soil.
• Keep your house regularly clean and while cleaning use a good disinfectant. Also, keep your child’s nails short and clean. Worm eggs can latch onto long fingernails and spread around the house
• If you have a household help who is in constant contact with your child, make sure she maintains proper personal hygiene as well.

Easy remedies for deworming:

These are natural home remedies that you can use to de-worm your kids:

• Ajwain (carom seeds): Ajwain seeds taken with jaggery dissolved in cold water early in the morning expels worms during defecation.
• Bael (Bengal quince, wood apple): This fruit kills the worm within the body which is then expelled with stools.
• Pasha (flame of the forest): Effective in treating roundworms. Take the seeds with buttermilk twice daily.
• Tulsi (sweet basil): Seeds of tulsi in water or even chewing the leaves on an empty stomach is an effective remedy for all parasitic worms, including tapeworm.        

So if your child has worms, then immediately consult your paediatrician and take effective steps against it. And do peep here at times for more articles by me, your friendly paediatrician.

To consult Dr Gorika Bansal in person, click here.

Also read: 4 effective tips to calm down a baby troubled with colic!, All you need to know about Infant Reflux 

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