Threadworms are incredibly common in young children – and re-infestation is a battle many of us have had to face.
If you’ve never dealt with threadworms before, it can feel a bit confronting. But understanding how they spread, how to treat them, and how to stop reinfection can make managing them much easier.
Threadworms (also called pinworms) are tiny parasitic worms that live in the intestines.
They are:
At night, female worms travel to the skin around the anus to lay eggs (it is estimated that one female threadworm can lay up to 16,000 eggs. Yikes). This is what causes the intense itching many children experience, particularly overnight (one of the few obvious symptoms that a child may have worms!)
Threadworms are extremely common in children because they spread easily in places where children spend time together, such as daycares and schools.
Some children have no symptoms at all, but common signs include:
In girls, threadworms can sometimes spread to the vaginal area, causing itching and discomfort there as well.
Threadworms spread when microscopic eggs are swallowed.
This often happens when:
Because the eggs are so tiny, they spread easily within households and childcare settings – and can live on surfaces – even dust – for around 2 weeks.
This is why if one person in a household has threadworms, others may develop symptoms soon after.
Many parents only realise their child has threadworms once symptoms begin.
The most common sign is an itchy bottom at night. This happens because the female worms travel to the skin around the anus overnight to lay eggs. You may be able to see threadworm if you examine your child at night. Take a torch, separate your child’s buttocks and look carefully around the anus.
Other clues might include:
Because symptoms are often worse at night, some parents discover threadworms when checking their child after the child wakes up, complaining of itching.
Threadworms are treated with medication that kills the worms. In Australia, common treatments include medications containing mebendazole or pyrantel, which are available from pharmacies.
Two main medications are commonly used to treat threadworms:
• Mebendazole:
This medication works by preventing the worms from absorbing sugar, which they need to survive. Without it, the worms eventually die. It’s available as chewable tablets, chocolate squares, or liquid. Common brands include Combantrin-1 and Vermox. A single dose is often effective, but a second dose two weeks later is recommended to eliminate any worms that may have hatched since the first treatment.
• Pyrantel:
Pyrantel works differently by paralysing the worms, allowing the body to pass them in the stool. It comes in tablet or chocolate square form, with Combantrin, Pin-Rid and Anthel being common brands. As with mebendazole, a single dose usually treats the infection, but repeating the dose after two weeks helps ensure that newly hatched worms are cleared.
Both medications are considered effective, so many families simply choose the option their child is most comfortable taking, and advice from their pharmacist. Always follow the directions on the packaging, and note that different guidance may apply for children under two years of age or during pregnancy – always speak to your pharmacist.
Always treat the whole family to help eliminate the infestation – even adults get threadworms!
When it comes to threadworms, medication alone often isn’t enough.
The medicines kill the adult worms, but they don’t kill the eggs. Those eggs are microscopic and can survive on surfaces for up to two weeks.
This means a child can easily become reinfected if eggs remain on things like bedding, towels, surfaces and their own hands/fingernails!
Without proper hygiene measures, families can end up stuck in a frustrating cycle of reinfection, with the worms returning. That’s why medication and hygiene need to work together.
For the two weeks following treatment, simple steps can help break the cycle:
These steps help remove eggs from the environment so children don’t keep accidentally swallowing them.
Because threadworms are so common in childhood, some families wonder whether they should treat everyone preventively, even if no one has symptoms.
In most situations, routine preventative treatment isn’t recommended. Threadworm medications are best used when symptoms are present, or worms are identified, rather than taken regularly “just in case.”
Instead, focusing on good hygiene habits – such as handwashing, nail trimming and regular bathing – is the most effective way to reduce the chance of infection.
If symptoms do appear and you suspect threadworm, treatment can be started, and the hygiene steps above can help prevent the worms from spreading further.
See your GP if your child passes a large worm, or they have abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or low energy levels.
Threadworms are one of those very common childhood experiences that most families will deal with at some stage.
While they can feel unpleasant (and let’s be honest – gross), they are not dangerous and are usually straightforward to treat.
Once you know what to look for and how to manage them, they’re simply another small bump in the road of raising young children.
And like many childhood health hiccups, a combination of the right treatment, good hygiene, and a little patience will usually see things back to normal within a couple of weeks. Let’s be real – there’s a reason there is a Bluey ep dedicated entirely to ‘bumworms’!
BONUS: Can you get threadworms from pets? NO. This is a common misconception, but you/your child cannot get threadworms from your furbabies.
References
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