According to the World Health Organization, eight out of ten children are infected with worms, mainly pinworms and ascarids. In this roundworm found in children as often, how ostritsы.
What is Ascaris?
Roundworm parasite, dvupolыy. The female is much larger male - adult individual grows up 40 cm, trunk diameter reaches 6 mm.
This parasite has excellent intelligibility and can only exist in the human body. Pets can not be masters of helminth. Therefore, the source of contamination they can only be a man.
The favorite habitat - small intestine, entering parasite organism occurs mainly in two ways:
- nutritional - food, raw water from reservoirs. Children are particularly vulnerable - they are all pulling in the mouth. Playing in the sandbox can also be a cause of infection by these worms
- contact - with unwashed hands.
Viability of Ascaris eggs is high enough, they can wait long for his master on the clothes and various subjects, on the skin or fur of pets. Flies and cockroaches can also be carriers.
Mouth the eggs to fall into the stomach, wherein a part of them are killed by the action of gastric juice, others reach the small intestine, where they receive a favorable environment for the development of.
hatch, ascaris larvae begin to migrate through the body through the bloodstream and could end up in any organ. Most often affects the liver, lungs, they often fall into the ventricle of the heart.
Having made a circle around the body, the larvae reach the intestine again, it happens when you cough. At this stage they reach puberty, with the result that the females begin to lay hundreds of thousands of eggs.
Roundworm parasites are geogelmintnym, i.e. a complete cycle of development involves the maturation of eggs in the soil, under certain conditions of temperature and humidity. In dry and hot climate found cases of Ascaris infestation is not easy - their eggs simply do not survive. In the conditions of the middle zone of re-infection depends on the number of contacts with the environment.
So often ascariasis runs itself. With special just dying away time and are derived from the intestine.
There have been cases of long-term residence in the body of worms - parasites live in the intestines over the years, their population does not exceed the dimensions, safe for human. You can find them, Only if, for some reason started to decrease immunity - then symptoms may appear.
therefore, as Dr. Komarovsky, Mom and Dad do not consider myself a bad parent, because contamination can occur anywhere and from anyone, especially, that for an active child is usually very difficult to follow.
Symptoms of infection of the child Ascaris
Specific signs of infection it is not this kind of parasites, little of, often they do nothing about does not say.
You can note, that ascariasis in children can cause a sharp sensitization (sensitization). The reason for this becomes severe intoxication at the initial stage of infection, but this signal may go unnoticed, and after 1,5-2 months of the disease, and it will become less pronounced.
those signs, sometimes causing the child roundworm, Parents are often taken for other diseases symptoms.
- Cough
This feature is most often regarded as catarrhal phenomenon, especially if it is accompanied by a mild fever and slight malaise. Firstly, baby begin to treat cough and runny nose.
should know, Such signs do not only arise as a result of the common cold, but also in the phase of larval migration, especially when they are ripened in the lungs and begin to look for ways to penetrate into the intestine. Thus there is tissue trauma in the respiratory tract, shortness of breath may occur. When X-ray examination of the lungs revealed infiltrates.
Symptoms of children ascariasis may resemble viral infection - excessive sweating, pain in joints and muscles.
- allergies
The emergence of allergic reactions, especially new, It should be alerted - this may be a reaction of the body to the baby askarid waste products.
Sometimes a rash and itching all over the body, swollen eyelids.
- Lack of appetite, stomach ache, nausea, signs of indigestion
The appearance of these symptoms may be indicative of intestinal helminth stage lesions. Pain attacks are, often localized around the navel, can begin increased salivation.
Besides, high probability of damaging the intestinal wall, perforation, until the occurrence of internal bleeding. Possible enlargement of the liver and spleen size.
- fatiguability, irritability, whims
Such symptoms should not go unnoticed, especially when you consider, that children ascariasis may lead to the inhibition of the development of. You should also pay attention to the drowsiness - roundworm can significantly reduce the pressure.
There have been cases of seizures, disorders of the vestibular apparatus - these symptoms are at damages of the meninges.
Generally roundworm can be downright dangerous, a very dangerous.
If a lot of them, they can form tangles in the intestine, which will lead to intestinal obstruction, and in the bile ducts in the liver, they may trigger their clogging, that can lead to jaundice.
Stay larvae in the lungs damages the lung tissue, if this happens regularly, begin bronchitis and pneumonia.
Of course, such serious consequences can only be in long-term and severe ascariasis, usually it comes to this rare, However, of these parasites is better to get rid as soon as possible.
Infection of the baby in the womb
If the infection occurred during the childbearing, there is a possibility of penetration of larvae through the placenta. Under such circumstances, the newborn baby may already be in the intestines of adult roundworm.
Therefore, a woman, expecting a baby or nursing, should consult a doctor at the slightest sign of helminthic invasion - should not be afraid to play it safe. Doctor will prescribe medications in dosage, safe for the fetus, probably, it would be "Pyrantel", also prescribes the means and explain, than to treat the infant and nursing mother.
But in no case should not self-medicate, especially to treat the child itself - it may pose a danger to his life.
How to treat ascariasis
Treatment of ascariasis in children should begin immediately after discovery. Reveal the presence of larvae is difficult, However, in the analysis of blood is present a large number of eosinophils (specific antibodies, appearing in response to the appearance in the blood of foreign elements).
Fecal may give a confirmation step of ascariasis and intestinal presence of adults in the body.
Most drugs effective in killing adult ascarids, but their larvae remain intact, therefore have to be treated in two stages. A couple of weeks after the first drug administration should hold another reception, to kill parasites, that during this period will go from the larval phase in the intestinal.
preparations, approved for use in the treatment of the child
- "Vermoks"
It can be used to treat children from two years. It is advisable to carry out the course the whole family. It is taken twice a day for three days.
It has a number of side effects, so it is not always prescribe.
- "Pyrantel»
Recommended for children from six months, in suspension. The dose is calculated according to baby's body weight. should be to re-appointment two weeks in the case of the drug, since it does not act on the body by migrating larvae.
- «Dekaris»
effective drug, a major impact on the adults - their paralysis and death. Besides, enhances immunity.
- "Worm"
Very strong medicine, It destroys not only mature ascarids, but all the intermediate stages of the parasite, including eggs.
The course lasts 3-4 day, agent is taken once a day.
- "Levamizol"
Tablets at the recommended dose taken once.
Pediatrician may also assign means to restore liver functions and normalization of intestinal microflora. In the case of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract can be treated with antibiotics.
Usually the disease, together with the effects can be completely cured, there is even speculation about the origin of the relative immunity by repeated infection.
It should not be to choose and give your child a medicine for worms, even if there is information, how to treat. Even allowed for children drugs are poison, so you need to be careful and to provide treatment under the guidance and supervision of a physician.
A bit of caution
If the parents are supporters of folk remedies, they need to understand, that Ascaris - a worm length 40 cm. Most folk remedies does not kill them, and forced to leave the host organism.
Therefore, before taking over the healing of the child, should think, what can happen, if he will crawl out of the parasites. After all, it is not necessary, they will certainly climb to the anus. There were cases, uduşenija askaridami, when they are concentrated in the upper airway and tried to crawl out through the mouth and nose.
Therefore, interference with independent without medical supervision is not only dangerous, and deadly.
In the treatment of medication to radically intoxication, disintegration products of the parasite can literally poison the child, especially when it comes to baby. Only a doctor can decide, how to get the baby out of the body roundworm, taking into account all the available medical indications and contraindications.
Prevention of infection by parasites
It is not necessary to repeat the truth, that only hygiene can be the most reliable preventive measure against infection by any worms.
- Frequent hand washing
Thoroughly wash hands after using the toilet, games with your favorite dog and cat, walking in the street.
The child should be taught to use a small brush, to wash under fingernails. That he did not lazy, it should be interested in - to buy soap in the form of the character of fairy tales, bright brush, beautiful towel.
Encouraged his desire for purity, do not skimp on praise.
- For a young child should constantly monitor
The street does not need to give him cookies and buns, there can be only at home mytymi hands. Do not allow him to eat unwashed fruit and vegetables in the garden, drag in the mouth all the fun, sucking her fingers and biting her nails.
- Conduct regular cleaning
The house should be carried out wet cleaning, toys, with whom the child went to the street, you need to thoroughly wash. For fast disinfection of surfaces can buy a steam cleaner - hot steam instantly destroy all pathogens, brought from the street.
- Properly handle food
The meat should be well cooked, greenery, vegetables, fruit before serving should be well rinsed.
- Annual prevention of infestation
This is usually done twice a year, if a family has pets, it is necessary to conduct such activities and for them, wherein it is desirable to simultaneously.
If strictly to take all the above measures for the prevention of parasitic infection, think, how to get rid of parasites, have much less.
