How often should children be dewormed periodically?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Doctor Nguyen Thai Ngoc Chau - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital.
In poor countries, children are likely to become infected with worms from the time they stop breastfeeding and continue to be reinfected for the rest of their lives. Rarely, worm infections have acute consequences for children, but instead cause chronic worm infections, negatively affecting child development such as health, nutrition, cognitive development, ability to access to and achievement in learning.

1. Why should children be dewormed periodically?

Infection with helminths can cause many adverse effects on children's health such as:
Anorexia, malabsorption: Long-term parasitic worms reduce the absorption of essential nutrients, causing the body to lack vitamins. Children lose their appetite and lose their appetite. Reduced nutritional status: Parasitic worms will absorb all nutrients, leading to anemia and protein deficiency. Poor physical and intellectual development: Poor nutritional status, deficiency caused by long-term damage caused by worms causes children to suffer from poor physical growth (weak health, shorter than peers) and intellectual (not focused, learning decline). Potential for many dangerous diseases: Worm infection if not treated early can lead to a number of other serious diseases such as appendicitis, intestinal obstruction and perforation, cardiovascular disorders when infected with many roundworms; Long-term pinworm infection in girls can easily lead to vaginitis, salpingitis, and urinary tract infections.

2. Why are children susceptible to worm infections?

Children are susceptible to disease exposure due to poor physical, nutritional and cognitive status and are more likely to engage in behaviors with high worm infestation such as:
Children play in sandy soil and nails are not cut frequently Children crawl on the ground , floor, not wearing slippers often Children do not understand the importance of personal hygiene Contact with worm-infested surfaces, children can get worms from the soil in the playground or play with pets infected with worms Hands and feet are not clean, children can put all toys in their mouth. Improper hygiene or sanitation, unclean bedding, mats, or mattresses, or littering in children's rooms Children in contact with infected adults Children who eat or drink foods contaminated with worms washed by adults not clean

3. The routes of transmission of worms

The worm diseases are transmitted by worm eggs from the feces of an infected person to the soil. Adult worms live in the intestines and from here thousands of eggs are produced every day. Worm eggs, after being released into the soil in feces, make the soil contaminated, especially in unsanitary places.
Roundworms, whipworms, pinworms are transmitted through the digestive tract such as: if you eat dirty or unhygienic food contaminated with worm eggs (such as raw vegetables or vegetables that are not thoroughly cooked, washed, pare); can also be infected from water sources contaminated with worm eggs; children play in sandy soil contaminated with worm eggs, then put their hands in their mouths...
For hookworms, the eggs will hatch into larvae in the soil, then the larvae penetrate the human body mainly through the skin. (limbs...). People infected with hookworm are often due to the habit of walking without shoes on contaminated soil. Worm infections are not transmitted directly from person to person or from fresh feces. Because worm eggs are excreted in the feces, it takes about 3 weeks to develop into eggs with larvae that can cause infection. Once the adult worms fail to reproduce in the host (human), reinfection occurs only when the person is exposed at a transmissible stage of the parasite into the environment.

4. Common worms and symptoms

Roundworm: Children infected with roundworm often have digestive disorders such as abdominal pain around the navel, nausea, even vomiting or worms. Hairworms: Infection with many hairworms at the same time often causes abdominal pain, nausea, and digestive disorders. More severe conditions will damage the lining of the large intestine, with mucus and blood in the stool. Hookworm: The most common symptoms are dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, dull abdominal pain, blue skin, anemia. Pinworms: This type of worm causes children to itch in the anal area, often scratching a lot, easily causing infections, crying, not sleeping well, having blood and mucus in the stool.

5. Recommendations of the World Health Organization on periodic deworming for children

So how often is it right to deworm children? According to the World Health Organization, the guidelines for properly deworming children for children are as follows:
Use deworming drugs for children including albendazole (400 mg) or mebendazole (500 mg) with a period of 6 months / 1 time recommended for all children 12 years 23 months, preschool children 1 year 4 years and school age children 5 years 12 years (in some places 14 years) living in areas with high prevalence of any soil-transmitted worm in children 20% or more, in order to prevent diseases caused by soil-borne worm infections.

6. How to prevent worm infection

Because children can play in dirt, sand, grass and other public areas, there is a high chance of getting worms. Although worm infections can be easily eliminated through the use of dewormers, children can be re-infected if not combined with other measures. Here are a few tips that can limit your child's chances of getting intestinal worms.
Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before use. Check to see if they are infected with worms before eating. Do not eat a fruit or vegetable, even if only part of it is contaminated. Avoid eating raw meat, especially pork and fish. Children should not be allowed to play barefoot on grass, mud or other outdoor areas. Drink boiled water at a time, avoid drinking from public pools unless you are sure it is safe. Use a swimming pool that meets hygiene requirements. Personal hygiene: Need to regularly wash children's hands and feet before and after eating; wash hands thoroughly after going out; Do not use dirty hands to pick up food. Cooked food and drinks: Food and drinks must be cooked thoroughly. If it is a raw fruit or vegetable, it must be cleaned before feeding to the child; food should be covered to avoid flies and flies; for children to use clean water. Keep the living environment clean: It is necessary to keep the house and living space clean, avoiding standing water, sandy soil or other ideal factors for helminths to develop. These precautions may not completely eliminate the chance that your child will get worms, but they will reduce the risk to your child and family.
Doctor Nguyen Thai Ngoc Chau has 09 years of experience in the field of Pediatrics - Neonatology, former Deputy Head of Pediatrics Department of Phuong Chau International Hospital (Can Tho). Dr. Chau regularly participates in training courses on child nutrition, pediatric emergency resuscitation, pediatric pathology treatment.

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