Allowing Children to Grow Better & Healthier
By Dr. Atish Laddad
The last thing anyone would want to think about is worms which are parasites that tend to feed off our bodies and refuse to go away lest we actively get rid of them. These worms tend to impair one’s wellbeing particularly kids who fall under the immunocompromised state with maturing immunity levels. Hence to refine your child’s immunity especially during the ongoing tough times, de-worming is a vital process. Along with improving your child’s immunity, de-worming can guard them against chronic ailments caused by worms.
Why is it necessary for kids to de-worm?
Parents must ensure to de-worm kids at least once every 6 months to facilitate in getting rid of all the intestinal worms. De-worming can be performed either via the medications prescribed by the child health expert in the case of older children or through syrup for toddlers as suggested by the doctor. Various types of abdominal worms can be found in our body like pinworms, tapeworms, roundworms and hookworms which on infecting the body can lead to various infections. The ways by which kids can get infected by these germs are through intake of contaminated food or water, faulty hygiene, playing with infected pets or living in unhygienic surroundings. These worms continue to grow and infect the body. If neglected for a long time these can cause various health issues in kids. Primary diagnosis of these worms will aid in better and faster treatment, helping to avoid an unwanted health issue.
How exactly does the treatment work?
A de-worming tablet or syrup is usually given to the child to help in killing the parasitic worms. Following this, the children tend to eject worms through their motions.
Symptoms that parents must not ignore: Signs like stomach pain, weight loss, feeling constipated, diarrhoea, rashes in the buttocks, refusal to eat, vomiting, fatigue, presence of blood in stools, urge to urinate frequently and burning sensation while urinating, do require immediate medical intervention.
Tips to prevent your kids from getting affected by worms:
A couple of things that parents need to keep in mind to ensure the child does not fall prey to these nasty worms is to make sure they are washing their hands properly with soap. Ensure they are thoroughly cleaning themselves post coming in contact with pets, after returning home from the playground or any other contaminated place. Apart from these steps, other measures include keeping the surroundings of the child well sanitized, inculcating clean habits in them, wash the vegetables or meat properly before feeding the child.
Never feed the child stale food and ensure they are not eating raw or uncooked meats, vegetables that might have the likelihood of worms being present in them. Ensure that your child is not drinking contaminated water from public tanks, instead, give them only boiled water.
By de-worming your kids, you efficiently lessen the overall spread of worm infestations. It is very easy and normal for children to get infected by worms and it is nothing to be worried about. With timely diagnosis and proper care, kids can be easily treated, thus enabling them to develop better, stronger and healthier.
About the Author
Dr. Atish Laddad, is a leading Pediatrician, Founder & Director at Docterz
