Pinworm in Child

  Written by: Muhammad Arif Rahimi

Pinworm infection occurs most often in school-age children and sometimes the adults as well. The most common signs of pinworm infection in children are itching around the rectum and restless sleep. The itching is usually worse at night because the worms move to the area around the rectum to lay their eggs.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some patients who suffer from pinworm and a physician about this infection.

A mother, Salgai says: “my kid is always suffering from pinworm but he is more in trouble during the night and does not have sleep the whole night.”

Bilal, a resident of Bagram district, Kabul province says: “my 3 years old brother is suffering from pinworms. He always hurts himself by itching and could not sleep at night.”

Doctor Wahidullah Habibi, a pediatrician in Nangarhar regional hospital says: “The pinworm is a very common intestinal parasite. The medical condition associated with pinworm infestation is known as enterobiasis .disturbed sleep; itching of the anal area, especially at night when the female worms are laying eggs; nausea; loss of appetite; severe irritability; Intermittent abdominal pain; sleeping difficulties and weight loss are the common symptoms of pinworm.”

What do people think about the causes of pinworm?

Amanullah, a resident of Parwan province says: “eating contaminated fruits caused my brother pinworms.”

Ashiqullah says: “playing in a dusty ground and eating something with contaminated hands causes pinworms.”

Doctor Habibi says: “the main causes of pinworm are contaminated environment and eating unwashed fruits and vegetables; not washing hands after going to the toilet and before the meal. Pinworms feed from sweets and during their feeding, the patient might be in trouble and some people think that candy and sweets cause pinworms.”

How do people treat pinworms at homes?

Salgai says: “I boiled a Tarkh (a bitter wild shrub) and gave it to my child and put some of it in his anus and he got better.”

A woman says: “we put the cigarette and wood ash with dried green tea in the child’s anus.”

Doctor Habibi says: “these kinds of home treatments could not be effective. Ash and green tea might cause some other crucial diseases. The patient must be shown to a doctor for the essential treatment.”