Worms In Children 2 Years Old: How To Treat? Symptoms, Prevention

Any parasites that live in the human body cause parasitic damage and disease. These can be both stomach ulcers and hepatitis, and cancerous tumors. Worms are more dangerous in children of two years old. At this age, the child is only developing protective forces and his body is not able to resist these "uninvited guests". The most common types of helminths in babies are roundworms, dwarf tapeworm, Trichinella, pinworms and whipworms. Depending on their type, there are both common and distinctive signs of worms in a 2-year-old child.

Content

1. Symptoms
2. Specific manifestations
3. The main routes of infection
4. Analyzes
5. Treatment
6. Pills
7. Folk remedies
8. Prevention

Symptoms

All varieties of worms have common symptoms, among them:

1. Allergy. The helminth releases toxic substances into the baby's organs. A rash and swelling appears on the skin. Due to the high degree of infection, the body temperature rises, headaches, nervous tension, sleep disorders and severe fatigue occur. Diarrhea or, conversely, constipation, flatulence and vomiting appear.
2. Weight loss. During the period of illness, the child's body lacks nutrients. Because of this, his appetite increases. He eats more but does not gain weight. Food is not absorbed by the child, but by foreign organisms.
3. Increased salivation.
4. Other manifestations. Worms reduce immunity, thereby provoking the development of sinusitis, sinusitis, diseases of the nasopharynx. Sometimes there are diseases of the genital organs, anemia and hymenolepiasis (pathology arising from the dwarf tapeworm).

Specific manifestations

The specific signs of helminths in babies depend on the parasite itself. For example, roundworms, penetrating the intestines, then move to the lungs, and then return back to the digestive system with sputum. At the same time, they affect the respiratory tract, and the child begins to cough up phlegm.

The appearance of a whipworm (trichocephalosis) in a child's body can take a long time without symptoms. This happens with a small infection (less than 100 worms). When their number increases, signs appear from the digestive tract, and the baby's nervous system is also affected.

The main routes of infection

Infection with worms in babies of two years of age occurs quite quickly. In this case, the larvae can enter the child's body not only on the street, but also at home. The most common methods of infection are:

1. Improper hygiene. Children actively learn about the world, and mostly hands are involved in this process. They should be washed constantly. Failure to comply with this measure can lead to both helminths and many other pathologies.
2. Animals. Quite often, children become infected with worms from dogs, cats and tame rodents. Other pets are less susceptible to helminthiasis. Street animals are more dangerous, they are carriers of eggs and larvae of parasites.
3. Games. Increased attention to the child should be shown in the warm season when playing with sand, earth. Children try to taste everything that falls into their hands, and the soil and sand are often "stuffed" with helminth larvae.
4. Contact with an already infected person. Infection often occurs through furniture, dishes and toys. When worms appear in a child, it is necessary to undergo diagnostics and his environment.

Analyzes

If a child develops signs of parasites, see a doctor. He will examine the patient and prescribe diagnostic procedures that are carried out in order to determine the type of helminths:

1. Blood test. If the baby is infected, the blood changes color. It reveals the presence of antibodies to pathogens of helminthiasis. Low hemoglobin also indicates the presence of worms.
2. Stool analysis. This method is very common, however, not all types of parasites constantly lay eggs, so this result is not always true. For the analysis to be accurate, it must be performed three times, but always at intervals.
3. Scraping. In this method, a smear is taken from the surface of the anus for research. Such diagnostics also do not always show the presence of parasites.
4. Ultrasound. An ultrasound examination is carried out in order to identify helminths in various organs of the baby. However, in this case, only large individuals can be identified, the apparatus does not "see" small ones.

The results of these methods make it possible to determine the method of treatment and prescribe medications for children at 2 years of age.

Treatment

In diseases caused by helminths, both specific and symptomatic treatment is prescribed. The first includes drugs against helminths. They contribute to the complete cleansing of the body from worms. Symptomatic treatment allows you to save the baby from the consequences that are expressed by violations in the work of the affected systems and organs.

Therapy can be carried out with tablets or suspensions. Among the latter, Pirantel or Nemozole is most often used. A two-year-old baby is assigned a single use of the drug in an amount not exceeding 20 ml.

Pills

Among the pills allowed for children from two years of age, Pirantel is often used. This drug works mainly on adult pinworms. The package contains three tablets. Children from 2 years old can take one tablet as a single dose. It should be chewed or grinded. The drug is also available in the form of a suspension.

Low toxicity Zentel is the optimal antiglite agent for young children. The drug has low toxicity.

There is another effective drug - Vermox. In the case of ascariasis, teniidosis and trichocephalosis, half the tablet is divided into three pieces. They must be taken during the day. With enterobiasis, Vermox should be given to children under 2 years old in the amount of one quarter of the tablet. Moreover, such therapy must be performed again. After two weeks, the treatment of pinworms in a 2-year-old child should be repeated.

Folk remedies

Before starting treatment with folk remedies for worms in two-year-old children, you should consult your doctor. Typically, these methods are used as adjunctive therapy, and include the following:

1. Pomegranate broth. It is used as a quick-acting laxative for babies with frequent constipation. The pomegranate is peeled. These crusts are crushed, then poured with half a liter of boiling water and boiled for 20 minutes over low heat. The broth is filtered, it is given to the child before meals 1 teaspoon.
2. To eliminate worms in babies, they can be given pumpkin seeds. It is advisable to grind them with a blender or in a coffee grinder before use.
3. Carrot juice. It should be consumed on an empty stomach with 1 tablespoon of honey or sugar.

Vegetable oils are often used, they have an antihelminthic effect. Sea buckthorn, flaxseed or hemp oil can be given to your child 1 teaspoon before meals. If this taste is unpleasant for the child, oil can be added to cereals.

Prevention

As a prophylaxis against infection with helminths, some rules must be observed:

• every day it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning in the baby's room;
• before meals and after walking, wash hands thoroughly for both the baby and the parents;
• on the street it is always necessary to make sure that the child does not "pull" various objects and substances into his mouth;
• every year to conduct a survey for the presence of helminths;
• regularly trim the baby's nails;
• all child's clothes should be well-groomed - washed and ironed.

Compliance with these recommendations will help parents protect their child from infection with parasites. If parents suspect alarming signs in the baby, it is necessary to urgently consult a specialist. In no case should you start or, moreover, leave the disease on its own.