Pinworms are a frequent problem for many children. These are small white worms that resemble pieces of thread and live inside the bowel. Female worms crawl from the rectal opening at night to lay eggs. This migration often causes children to wake at night complaining of discomfort or itching of their bottom. Many children with pinworms, however, have no symptoms; others complain of stomach aches.

Diagnosis: If you feel your child may have pinworms you may check the rectal area during the night looking for the worms. You may also perform a simple pinworm tape test to detect the eggs. This tape with instructions will be provided by our office.

Treatment: Treatment will be prescribed for the infected child. This usually consists of one (chewable) tablet for the child to be taken two weeks apart.

Prevention of Spread: Prevention of the spread is by proper treatment, frequent laundering of linen and clothes, frequent baths, and keeping nails cut short since the children will usually scratch their bottoms, collect eggs and spread to others.