Deworming medicine for children
90 percent of school going children suffer from worm disease. Among them, the rate of roundworm infection is high. These worms live in the intestines and consume most of the nutritious food. So affected children may suffer from malnutrition.
Hookworms can enter the body through the soles of children who use the toilet barefoot and walk barefoot in the fields. These worms feed on blood, causing the child to become anemic. Physical and mental growth is disrupted. Small worms called pinworms are often found in children's stools.
Affected children are usually irritable. Symptoms of worm disease include loss of appetite, bloating, weakness, pallor, nausea or persistent stomach upset.
How many days after worm medicine?
All children aged 2-5 should be dewormed on National Immunization Day. By giving worm medicine every 4-6 months, the child will get rid of the worm infection.
Worms are enemies of the body, under no circumstances should a single worm be kept in the stomach.
When to feed?
A set of questions pops up in the mind of parents after writing the worm medicine in the prescription. First, is it difficult to eat in the heat or on a cloudy day? When is it better to eat during the day or at night? Before or after meals? All the anthelmintic drugs available in the market are safe and can be given as per prescription at any time of the year. No need to just sit around waiting for a rainy day.
There is no need to calculate empty stomach, full stomach. There is no need to give glycerine stick or any medicine to make the child pass the stool after feeding the medicine.
What vitamins to give with?
Most of the country's children suffer from malnutrition-related diseases and vitamin deficiency diseases. Only in that case vitamins may be needed along with taking nutritious food. If worming medicine, the child should be given vitamin medicine - there is no truth to this. However, there is no harm in giving vitamins.
Worms' relationship with food
It is sometimes heard that if you eat too much sweets, bananas or fish, you will get worms in your stomach. Many people also name some other foods depending on the place. In fact, worm infection occurs through feces. Worm eggs or larvae are passed out in human feces. Later, if the hands are not washed properly, the eggs of the worms enter the mouth while sticking to the fingernails, finger grooves or through unclean vegetables, fruits etc. But worms are associated with unclean food. For example, open market chocolates, lozenges or sweets etc. Flies sit on these foods, and thus worm eggs or larvae enter the body along with the open unclean food.
Worm medicine
Doctors believe that all the drugs used against worms are safe and effective when taken in the right dosage. It is best to check the stool again 2-4 weeks after deworming to confirm whether the worm infection remains.
Albendazole: 400 mg for children older than two years. 1 gram dose (2 teaspoon syrup). Half dose for 1-2 year old child. If the infection seems to remain then one more feeding can be done after 3 weeks. Available in the market as Elben, Syntel etc.
Parental Pamoate: One dose for children over 1 year old, 11 m. as g/kg weight. For pinworms, 1 dose can be given every 2 weeks if needed. Available in the market as Melfin, Dilentin etc.
Mebendazole: Can be given to children as tablets or syrup. Available in the market as Meben or Ermox etc. Children older than 2 years should be given 1 spoon (100 mg) 2 times a day for 3 days.
Levomisole: Marketed as Katex. 1 dose per kg of child's weight (3 mg/kg).
Associate Professor, Department of Child Health
Chittagong Medical College Hospital
