How to Treat Tapeworm in Kids
Tapeworms--known scientifically as taenia saginata and taenia solium--are intestinal parasites. Children and adults can become infected with tapeworms by eating raw or undercooked meat that has tapeworm eggs in it, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tapeworms can also be passed through touching fecal matter and not washing your hands after using the restroom. It takes about two months for the parasite eggs to hatch and grow to adulthood, at which time they can be as long as 12 feet, according to Medline Plus. The tapeworm reproduces on its own, creating its own eggs inside your intestines. Tapeworms can live for many years in the human intestines and can cause the taeniasis infection. If the tapeworm leaves the intestines, it can cause damage in the brain, eyes and heart. Children who have tapeworms can be treated with medication from a doctor's office along with home remedies.
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Things You'll Need
- Stool sample
- Prescription medication
- Coenzyme Q10
- Ground pumpkin seed
- Wormwood
- Garlic
- Fenugreek seeds
- Cranberries
- Pineapple
- Papayas
- Soap
Instructions
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Recognize the symptoms of tapeworm in your child. Your child may be itching their anus or vagina more often, a sign that tapeworms are leaving through the rectum during bowel movements. Look for whitish worm segments in your child's stool. Your child may be restless at night and grind his teeth. You may notice dark circles under the eyes, anemia, mouth blisters, headaches, diarrhea, weight loss, weakness, nausea, rectal bleeding and bed-wetting.
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Take your child and a sample of his stool to the doctor for stool tests to make sure your child has tapeworm. The symptoms of tapeworm can also be indicators of other problems or conditions your child might be having, so it is important to get a proper diagnosis.
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Ask your doctor to prescribe medications for your child to kill the tapeworms. The medication most commonly used is niclosamide; it is taken by mouth in a single dosage, according to Medline Plus. With proper medical treatment and prescription medications the tapeworm will usually go away.
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Try an herbal remedy to treat your child's tapeworms. Proponents of natural healing remedies believe that parasites such as tapeworms cannot survive or stay in a body that is healthy and balanced. Using these remedies is not a substitute for going to your doctor and getting medication, but they will not harm your child and they do provide nutritional value. Give Coenzyme Q10 to your child to kill tapeworms (break up a capsule into some chocolate milk so your child can drink it). Other herbs that have been found effective in killing tapeworms are pumpkin seed, wormwood, garlic and fenugreek seeds. Coenzyme Q10 and these other herbs kill tapeworms by oxygenating and cleaning toxins out of the body.
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Teach your child to wash his hands frequently, especially after using the restroom, so he will not pass the tapeworms to other family members or infect himself.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not take your child to swim in public swimming pools if he has tapeworms. Teach your child not to swallow water in pools, rivers or streams. Water may contain fecal matter that has tapeworms eggs in it.
