Can an 18-month-old child be dewormed?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Vu Quoc Anh - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
Normally, children over 2 years old will be dewormed every 6 months. For children under 2 years old, if infected with worms, it will cause anorexia, growth retardation and malnutrition,... Therefore, children should be taken to a health facility for screening and appropriate interventions.

1. Can an 18-month-old child be dewormed?

For children, regular deworming should only be started when the child is 2 years of age or older. In the case of an 18-month-old child, if a helminth infection is detected or suspected, the child should be examined and tested for screening, until there is accurate evidence of helminth infection, the child will be treated according to doctor's instructions.
Dewormer can cause some side effects such as headache, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, digestive disorders, abdominal pain, diarrhea. But these symptoms are usually mild and go away on their own after a few days. In rare cases, children may have an allergic reaction to the drug such as: rash, itching, hives. At that time, parents should take the child to medical facilities immediately for timely treatment. Currently, the drug can be taken during or immediately after a meal, without fasting or fasting, nor using an enema. However, usually the dewormer is used in the morning, before eating.

2. Measures to prevent worm infection for children

Children often crawl on the floor and have a habit of sucking their thumbs. There are times when children drop food on the ground and then pick it up again to eat. Therefore, children are very susceptible to infection with worms such as roundworms, whipworms, and pinworms. In rural areas, especially areas where vegetables are grown, using fresh manure to fertilize vegetables and plants is a favorable condition for children to be infected with hookworms, because larvae penetrate the skin and enter the body. young.
When infected with worms, in addition to worms residing and taking up nutrients of the body, worms also cause many troublesome symptoms for children. When infected with worms, children often have digestive disorders, which interfere with the ability to absorb nutrients. This long-term situation will lead to children's growth retardation, malnutrition, poor resistance, so they are more susceptible to other infections.
In addition, children are at risk of other complications such as worms in the bile ducts, intestinal obstruction or in girls, when female pinworms come out of the anus to lay eggs that can crawl to the genitals, causing infection. In the case of children infected with hookworms, it can lead to severe anemia because of chronic blood loss due to damage to the intestinal lining causing prolonged bleeding. Therefore, children infected with worms often have anorexia, growth retardation, growth retardation, malnutrition and anemia,...

To avoid worm infections for babies, it is best to prevent worm infections:
Teach your baby the habit of washing hands after going to the toilet and before eating. Adults themselves must also pay attention to this, especially before preparing food and feeding the baby. Food hygiene: Children should drink boiled water to cool, eat cooked vegetables, fruits should be peeled after washing. Body hygiene: Regularly cut the baby's nails, wash the anus with soap after each bowel movement, do not let the baby defecate indiscriminately, do not leave the baby naked or wear pants with holes in his ass. Sanitize children's toys regularly In rural areas, it is necessary to arrange a faecal treatment area far from living quarters and water wells. Do not let your baby crawl or play on sandy soil. Every 6 months, give your baby a dewormer once when the child is over 2 years old. If a member of the household is infected with pinworms, the whole family should be dewormed. In summary, children infected with worms can cause anorexia, malnutrition, and anemia. However, according to the recommendation for children over 2 years old to use deworming drugs, for 18 months old children should not be dewormed periodically, when there is a suspicion of worm infection, it is necessary to take the child to a medical facility for examination and treatment. age-appropriate interventions.

Children in the period from 6 months to 3 years old are very susceptible to respiratory problems, skin diseases and gastrointestinal infections... parents need to pay special attention to the care and provision complete nutrition for children. The pediatric department at Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, otitis media, pneumonia in children. ,... With a system of modern facilities, medical equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.

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