Cause

Pinworms are spread from person to person—usually from child to child. The pinworm eggs leave the body of an infected person through the rectum. Another person takes the eggs in unknowingly through the mouth after having touched food, bedding, or other items with eggs on them.

Once taken in through the mouth, the eggs hatch in the small intestine and then grow into worms in the large intestine. The cycle then starts again, as the female worm goes to the area around the rectum and lays eggs.

Symptoms

The main symptom of pinworms is the itching a child feels as the female worms move to the rectum to lay eggs and from the eggs themselves. Symptoms include:

• Intense itching around the rectum or, in girls, the vagina (sometimes a worm goes into the vagina instead of the rectum)
• Difficulty sleeping, usually because of the itching at night
• Irritability because of the lack of sleep and the itching
• Irritation and scabbing around the rectum because of scratching
• Visible small, white worms in the anal area, especially at night

Treatment

Pinworms can be treated successfully with prescription medication. It’s an annoying condition but not a serious one. You will need a doctor’s care to
get rid of the infestation.

Self-Care

If one person in a household gets pinworms, the infestation easily can spread. Self-care measures can help prevent that spread. Use these measures for 3 days after taking the pinworm medication:

• Avoid scratching the area around the rectum or any other infected area.
• Everyone in the household should keep their hands and fingers away from the nose and mouth, except just after washing.
• Make sure your children wash their hands and fingernails thoroughly, especially after using the bathroom and before eating anything.
• Keep your children’s fingernails short.
• Discourage thumb sucking and nail biting.
• Have your child wear shorts or panties under pajamas.
• Give your child a shower each morning and remove shorts or panties in shower. Wash immediately.
• Clean the toilet seat and bathtub after use.
• Vacuum or wet-mop your child’s room. Eggs that are scattered on the floor are infectious for 1 to 3 weeks.