How to prevent risk of intestinal worms in children

Have your children complained of a stomach ache? Has it failed to subside and instead aggravated with time that has prevented them from eating? This could be a sign of intestinal worms. Common in children, intestinal worms can be seen in adults too, and a quick visit to a doctor is the only way to be dewormed. However, you can lower the risk of intestinal worms in children by following some simple tips.

• Avoid using tap water while brushing teeth: Children might swallow water while brushing teeth. As tap water isn’t filtered and has a high chance of acting as a medium for worms, it is wise to keep a bottle of filtered water at wash basin to brush teeth. Also, some children tend to gargle, thereby accidentally swallowing water and not spitting it out, unlike adults. And hence, it can also lead to the entry of worms to the body, increasing the risk of intestinal worms.
  
• Supervise your children while bathing: Just like brushing teeth, not paying attention to children while taking a bath can lead to drinking water while showering. As ground water is used for bathing in some homes, there are high chances of water contamination, and hence, the risk of intestinal worms. Preventing children from drinking water while taking a shower will only help the cause.
  
• Make sure your child washes hands, especially, before eating: As children tend to play in soil and other such activities they are involved in on a daily basis, their hands become dirty. And hence, not washing hands afterwards, especially before eating, can act as a medium for worms to enter the body. So make sure inculcate the habit of washing hands and mainlining good hygiene and sanitation in your child to avert the spread of illness. Moreover, following these hygiene practices can cut down the hazard of flu and food poisoning.
  
• Cutting your child’s nails regularly & discouraging nail biting: Fingertips and under nail skin are thriving grounds for different types of bacteria, fungus, and yeast. One of the commonly found bacteria in the nails is Staphylococcus Aureus, which can cause skin infections like boils, abscesses and is breeding ground for worm breeding. Also while having food with dirty nails can open doors for infections to enter a kid’s mouth and straight to the stomach. Hence, cutting nails regularly and discouraging nail biting can help you to lower the risk of intestinal worms.
  
• Avoid intake of sugar and sugary foods: No wonder why our parents used to tell us not eat excess sugar and say no to sugary foods as well. This is because sugar kept open attracts flies which can leave behind eggs of worms, which usually come from open defections in the surroundings. Preventing intake of sugary foods can prevent kids from risking a stomach infection. Not just this, it is wise to avoid street food as it can lead to food contamination and infection.
  
• Wash raw vegetables, specifically before making salads: Including fresh fruits and salad in it is a healthy idea but not at the risk of infection. Make sure you always wash fruits and vegetables properly before eating as unwashed fruits & vegetables can be contaminated, which in turn put you at risk of infection.