How Much Do You Know About Pinworms?

A pinworm infection is called enterobiasis. It is caused by the parasitic worm Enterobius vermicularis. Other names for pinworm infection include seatworm infection and threadworm infection. Ascariasis is caused by a large intestinal roundworm. Trichinosis is caused by Trichinella spiralis, a roundworm that can be found in raw or undercooked pork or wild game. Strongyloidiasis is caused by another parasitic roundworm called Strongyloidiasis stercoralis.

Pinworms are tiny (one-half-inch), white, threadlike roundworms found mainly in the colon and rectum. They enter the body when pinworm eggs are swallowed. The eggs then hatch in the small intestine. The larvae travel to the large intestine, where they attach themselves as parasites. About 3 to 6 weeks after the eggs are swallowed, the female worms move out of the body to lay eggs around the anus.

A female pinworm can lay thousands of eggs. The eggs are tiny and moist. This makes them invisible and able to stick to the fingers of children. If children with eggs on their fingers put those fingers in their mouth, the pinworm can enter the body. There they can hatch, creating an adult pinworm in the digestive tract. The adult pinworm lays new eggs around a child's anus. The eggs can then be scattered in the air from bed linen and clothing. The eggs can land and stick on doorknobs, furniture, tubs, faucets, toys, and food. The eggs can survive for up to 2 to 3 weeks outside the human body.

The itching is caused by the female pinworm moving from the anus to lay her eggs. The female worm often does this at night. The itching can occur around the anus or the vagina. Sometimes the itching is so severe that the child's sleep may be disturbed. Scratching the area may lead to a bacterial infection.

Your healthcare provider may ask you to first look for pinworms. You can check for pinworms by using a flashlight to look at your child's anus several hours after they have gone to bed, and then early in the morning. The worms look like quarter-inch-long white threads that move. You should check for the worms for 2 nights in a row. If you don't see a worm, your healthcare provider may give you cellophane tape attached to a tongue depressor to use in collecting the eggs. You gently press the tape to the area around the anus. The collection is usually done as soon as your child wakes in the morning, because bathing or having a bowel movement can remove the eggs. This may be done 3 mornings in a row. The tape is looked at under a microscope to make sure that eggs are present.

Some parents may choose not to treat the infection if children have no symptoms. But pinworms can be easily treated with medicine. When medicine is prescribed, the whole family should take it. Medicines often used to treat pinworms include mebendazole, albendazole, and pyrantel pamoate. Medicine is often given in 2 doses. The second dose is given 2 weeks after the first. Your healthcare provider may prescribe an ointment or cream to ease the itching.

The eggs are sensitive to sunlight. So experts advise opening the blinds or curtains in the bedroom each day. Vacuuming or wet-mopping the bedroom each week can pick up any eggs that have scattered on the floor. Also keep your child's fingernails trimmed short. And discourage them from biting the nails or sucking on a thumb. Even with the best hygiene, it's still possible for your child to become infected with pinworms if they swallow them. Just because your child has been in contact with a child who has pinworms doesn't mean your child will become infected. You should wait a month to check. That's because the eggs take 3 to 4 weeks to mature into adult pinworms.