![\"threadworm\"](\"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/threadworm.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSocial media and whimsical photo shoots often present a view of parenting that depicts immaculately presented children with bright, clean clothes, perfectly braided hair, and big, wide, heart-warming smiles. In reality, the smiles might still be there, but the clothes will be covered in snot and dirt, and the hairgrips would have been lost ten minutes after they were put in place. As any parent who has ever had to utter words \u201cDon\u2019t lick the window\u201d knows, kids are universally and inherently gross. Digging around in dirt, picking up discarded food from the floor, picking their nose, and scratching their bottoms are just a few of the grim habits they seem to be born with.<\/p>\n
Health experts tell us not to worry and that exposure to all that muck is good for their immune systems. Whilst we might resign ourselves to this truth and take a small grain of comfort in it when once again we are removing a handful of mud from their pockets, there are some occasions when they present with ailments and conditions that completely gross us out. Annoyingly, these are also the conditions that tend to be hardest to get rid of.<\/p>\n
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Just the name \u201cthreadworms\u201d is enough to churn the stomach. If you are not familiar with this particularly gruesome condition, then it\u2019s pretty simple to explain. Threadworms, also known as Pinworms, are teeny, tiny, little white worms that live in your poo. Yep, poop worms. Lovely.<\/p>\n
Although the idea of worms in your poop might sound horrifying, thankfully, it\u2019s not that serious. In fact, it\u2019s estimated that up to half of all under ten year olds in the UK are affected at some point in their lives. For most people, they will only cause mild discomfort. In very rare cases, prolonged infection can lead to poor nutrient absorption and weight loss. For females, there is a very small chance that the infection can lead to a UTI and complications to the vagina area.<\/p>\n
There is no need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms providing you have given them the medication and are adhering to a strict hygiene regimen as outlined below. However, some childcare providers may have a different policy.<\/p>\n
The main sign that your child is infected will be itchiness around their bottom. This is particularly bad at night and young, non-verbal children may become upset and restless at night for no obvious reason.<\/p>\n
The worms themselves can be hard to spot. As the name implies, they resemble small pieces of white cotton thread, about half to one centimetre long. They can be seen in your child\u2019s poo, or around their anus. The best time to try and spot the worms is at night, a couple of hours after your child has fallen asleep, when the female worms leave the inside of the anus to lay eggs around the bottom. There\u2019s no pleasant way of doing this. You will need to shine a torch at your child\u2019s bottom as they sleep. Bet that wasn\u2019t something you envisaged when you planned your life as a parent.<\/p>\n
You can buy medicine called Mebendazole (the usual brand name in the UK is Ovex) from the pharmacist that will kill all of the live worms in your child. Everyone in the household will need to take the medicine in order to prevent re-spreading the infection. However, the medicine should not be taken by those who are pregnant or breast-feeding, by children under the age of two, or by people taking certain medications.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the medication does not get rid of all the eggs, and these can survive outside of the body for up to two weeks. Pinworms lay thousands of eggs each night, and these can easily be transferred from your child to their clothes, bedding, toys, and various surfaces. Therefore, in addition to taking the medication, you will need to follow a strict hygiene regimen for at least two weeks. For children under the age of two and other people who cannot take the medication, your GP may advise that you follow the strict hygiene regimen for six weeks as an alternative to medication.<\/p>\n
You will need to:<\/p>\n
![\"Head](\"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/head-lice.jpg\")
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If the idea of worms in your poop didn\u2019t seem too bad, then how about dozens of creepy crawly insects in your hair? Head lice, also known as nits (which is actually the name for the head lice eggs), are a common problem in school aged children.<\/p>\n
Head lice are mostly harmless and an almost inevitable part of childhood. It\u2019s thought that up to 10% of children have the little bugs at any one time. The lice can\u2019t jump or fly, but they can walk pretty quickly for something so small. Young children who have less need for personal space boundaries tend to get very close to one another when playing, even touching heads, which allows the lice to spread easily.<\/p>\n
Occasionally, the lice can cause skin irritation on the scalp. However, for your child, the main concern would probably be regarding the anxiety that comes from the stigma associated with head lice. Children with head lice may experience bullying. That\u2019s despite there being no evidence to suggest that the lice prefer either clean or dirty hair. They are not fussy and will set up home wherever they can.<\/p>\n
An itchy scalp is usually the first symptom. Sometimes children might report the sensation of something moving in their hair. You will need to check carefully for signs of nits and lice, and it\u2019s a good idea to do this regularly anyway, as often children don\u2019t have any symptoms at all. The insects are very small \u2013 about a quarter of a centimetre long, or the size of a sesame seed. They range in colour from grey to brown and have no wings and six legs. The eggs are even smaller, appearing very similar in size to flakes of dandruff, and come in a variety of colours that can match your child\u2019s hair, making them difficult to spot. Most lice and nits are generally found close the scalp around the ears and neck.<\/p>\n
There are three main methods used for getting rid of lice. Each has their own pros and cons.<\/p>\n
![\"plantar-wart\"](\"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/plantar-wart.jpg\")
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Our final grim and gruesome childhood complaint brings us to warts and verrucas. These are small growths on the skin that are caused by the HPV virus stimulating rapid growth of the affected area, creating the small lumps. There is a lot of stigma associated with warts, as many people link them with genital warts that are sexually transmitted. However, genital warts are caused by a different strain of the HPV virus (there are over 180 strains in total).<\/p>\n
Warts on other areas of the skin and verrucas (which is the name given to warts that grow on feet) are very common in children because they haven\u2019t built up immunity to the strains of HPV virus that cause them. This article does not cover genital warts, which should always be checked by a doctor.<\/p>\n
Like most childhood ailments, warts and verrucas are not serious. There is a very small chance that the wart can become infected. There is also a very small chance that the warts can become malignant in those who have weakened immune systems as a result of other conditions.<\/p>\n
However, warts can appear on the face. In addition, thanks to the stigma associated with the condition, children with warts may suffer from bullying at school, leading to general anxiety and low self-esteem.<\/p>\n
Common warts, i.e. those that appear on the hands, face, etc., can range in size between 1mm and 10mm in diameter. They are usually round or oval in shape, raised, and have a rough surface. They can be itchy and sometimes appear in clusters.<\/p>\n
Verrucas (also known as Plantar Warts) appear on the soles of feet. They are usually white with a small black dot in the centre which is the blood vessel. They tend to be flat because the weight of your body on your feet forces them to grow into your skin rather than out. As a result, they can be quite painful.<\/p>\n
Warts and verrucas can be difficult to get rid of. Most will eventually go away by themselves, but this can take a long time, even years. In the meantime, your child will still be able to spread the warts to other people, including those with compromised immune systems, so it\u2019s best to try and treat them if you can. You will also need to take preventative measures to avoid spreading them. These include:<\/p>\n
There are a number of methods that can be used to remove verrucas and warts. Some are more effective than others, and you may find that your child has a particularly stubborn one that will not be removed no matter what you try. These include:<\/p>\n
Social media and whimsical photo shoots often present a view of parenting that depicts immaculately presented children with bright, clean clothes, perfectly braided hair, and big, wide, heart-warming smiles. In reality, the smiles might still be there, but the clothes will be covered in snot and dirt, and the hairgrips would have been lost ten minutes after they were put in place. As any parent who has ever had to utter words \u201cDon\u2019t lick the window\u201d knows, kids are universally and inherently gross. Digging around in dirt, picking up discarded food from the floor, picking their nose, and scratching their <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1912,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1911"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1911"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3102,"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1911\/revisions\/3102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mumblog.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}