Worms in Children | Causes and Home Remedies for Worms

What Causes Worms in Toddlers

Worms in children are widely prevalent. In toddlers, these are very commonly seen due to the habit of putting all possible things into the mouth.

These worms or their eggs enter the human body either through mouth or by penetration through the skin.
By eating vegetables contaminated with eggs of enterobius (pinworms).
By piercing the skin, hookworm can infect the child.
Worms can infect also by ingesting contaminated water.

Commonly encountered worms are ascaris lumbricoids (roundworms), enterobius vermicularis (pinworms) and ancyclostoma duodenale (hookworm).
These worms deprive the host of the nutrients and may cause anemia.

(Hookworm sucks approximately 0.4ml of blood per day).
Some worms may interfere with body functions mechanically e.g. roundworms may cause intestinal obstruction.

The habit of washing hands after defecation and before feeding the child should be encouraged.
Nails should be cut and cleaned daily with soap. Daily bath and personal cleanliness should be taken care of. Child should be prevented from scratching around anal region so that eggs, if present, will not be transferred to fingernails.
Wash vegetables thoroughly before cooking especially root vegetables used for making salads. Drinking water should be boiled and filtered.
Child should be encouraged to wear full clothing with shoes and socks especially if playing around garden area.

Carrot is useful in eliminating threadworms. Grated carrot can be added to the meals of the child on daily basis.
Coconut is useful in expelling all kinds of intestinal worms. Freshly grated coconut can be added to the children’s meals or coconut water mixed with small quantity of honey is also useful in worms.
Threadworms in children can be eradicated by taking onion juice.
Fresh milky juice of unripe papaya fruit with one teaspoon of honey is also an effective anti-helminthes.
Garlic is used for pinworms, roundworms, giardia and other parasitic infections. Juice of 3 garlic cloves added to 20 to 30ml of carrot juice should be given twice a day.

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