worming kids

I just thought I would post this thread, as I have just recently (yesterday to be exact) wormed both of my toddlers. DS is 3.5 years and DD is 18 months. I gave them the conbatrim chocolate tablets and the kids actually though they were a treat (lol). Just wanted to say that if you haven't wormed your kids and you are finding that your older toddlers (approx 3 years) are seeming to be very irritable, I would recommend worming them. Since I did this yesterday Bailey has become a `normal toddler' once again. I don't know if he did actually have worms because I couldn't get around the fact of searching his poo for any signs of them, but he is definantly calmer and not so agitated since yesterday morning. My Mother was on my back to do it, and as DD was also at an age appropriate for worming, I decided that it was the right time, also because DS starts kindy next year and should be wormed according to the pharmasist I spoke too.
Happy Worming!

I never noticed a difference in behaviour before or after worming, but I did have to worm Paige twice as it wasn't effective the first time for some reason.

Fletch, the Combantrin Chocolate Squares can be taken from 1 years of age, and under that to consult your doctor. Trust me when I say it is easier to get kids to eat the chocolate rather than take the liquid oral treatment ;) Your child doesn't have to attend daycare to get it either. It can be transmitted quite easily, the eggs are microscopic and can live under fingernails, on skin etc. It is also highly recommended to wash all linen in hot water to kill the eggs that might be there too.

ETA, I got this information from the Combantrin website;

There are two main ways you can catch threadworm:

1. DIRECTLY - through contact with an infected person
2. INDIRECTLY - through touching a surface such as a tap, doorhandle, or item such as a pencil, linen or furnishings that have been contaminated by an infected person.

Threadworm Lifecycle
You can be infected with threadworm no matter how clean or careful you are. It takes one month on average for a swallowed egg to grow into an adult worm & reproduce. Adult worms survive for about two months.


How do you know if you've got threadworm? - signs & symptoms to look out for

Most threadworm infections are light. Often there are no symptoms, but the most common signs are:

• Itchy bottom (especially at night)
• Restless sleep
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite

For definitive proof of threadworm infection, look for the following:

• Worms on the outside surface of bowel motions - these resemble fine pieces of cotton thread, up to 1.5cm long.
• Moving worms or eggs around the anus - about an hour after the child has gone to bed. Using a torch, worms should be visible to the naked eye, however a useful way of detecting eggs is the "sticky tape test". Press a piece of double sided tape against the anus & remove - threadworm eggs will appear as tiny white specs on the tape.

When threadworm is detected, it is important you treat the whole family.

it is not recommended for pg women to take the combantrin, but you could ask your Dr about it. The whole family should be done as a matter of course, because it is so easy to spread. I usually do it every 6-8 months. It won't hurt him to do it anyway, even if he doesn't have them. Dh and I and Lindsay and Erin didn't have them either, just Paige, but we were all still done.

Yep you take the same as the kids. In a box there is enough to treat 2 adults and 2 children, but don't get too excited, it tastes like Carob *BLERGH*

Fletch I wormed the boys when I was PG and was told not to take the stuff by the pharmacist.
They most likey picked them up from kinder or creche but even socialising with other kids like cousins or neighbours kids can spread them around.
Mason wouldn't stop scratching him bum. It must have been annoying for him. Within a couple of days of taking the tablets he had stopped.
The chocolate would have been easier but I got him to have a tablet by bribing him with an icecream chaser. I was feeling too stingey to pay $15 for four chocolate squares.

Oh yeah lol Sherie..its bleerrghh isnt it. We have combantrin regularly too...yummo lol. My friend regularly looks after two little boys who shall i say...has poor hygiene issues in the home..and found a long worm..not a threadworm in his nappy the other day..the poor boy. Has anyone had experience with this???

Jo