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In a woman expecting a baby, the load on almost all organs and systems of the body increases. As a result, immunity decreases, health problems appear, and susceptibility to viral and fungal diseases is exacerbated. Helminthiases were no exception – reduced immunity deprives the body of the ability to resist pinworms. Most often, pregnant women are diagnosed with enterobiasis.
Why are pinworms dangerous during pregnancy?
Pinworms during pregnancy are unable to overcome the placental barrier, and they do not pose a direct threat to the fetus. However, a pregnant woman may experience the negative consequences of pinworms, complicating her health.
The danger of enterobiasis:
Crawling into the vagina, pinworms cause inflammatory diseases of the genital organs;
Combing the anus leads to a violation of the integrity of the epidermis, which leads to the introduction of pathogenic bacteria into the body;
The lack of vitamins, microelements, nutrients, which occurs due to the fault of helminths, negatively affects the formation of the fetus;
Discomfort during night sleep leads to irritability, apathy, loss of strength, which adversely affects the condition of the fetus;
Awareness of the danger of helminthiasis violates the psychological state of a pregnant woman who fears for the health of her unborn child.
In addition, untreated enterobiasis can cause infection of the newborn during feeding and caring for him.
Causes of pinworm infection during pregnancy
Even a single violation of hygiene rules can cause pinworm infection during pregnancy. No wonder enterobiosis is called the “disease of dirty hands.” Helminth eggs can be transferred into your mouth from dirty hands, on which they fell from household items, door handles, banknotes, food and utensils. These eggs are spread around in large numbers by a person infected with enterobiasis. If a pregnant woman has preschool children attending kindergarten, it is safe to say that she is at twice the risk of infection.
Having penetrated into the oral cavity, pinworm eggs quickly find themselves in the intestines, where after 4 weeks they develop into a sexually mature individual, ready for reproduction. The female lays eggs on the skin folds around the anus, the cycle of helminth development is repeated. Now the woman becomes a source of infection for others.
Symptoms of pinworms in pregnant women
Massive invasion manifests itself in women who are expecting a child, with the same symptoms as in other patients. The main manifestation of the disease is excruciating itching in the evening or at night in the anus.
Additional symptoms of enterobiasis:
Impairment of appetite;
Nausea;
Flatulence;
Weakness and increased fatigue;
Abdominal pain;
The presence in the feces of pinworms, which look like white worms 0,5-1 cm in size.
With a massive invasion, false urge to defecate, increased salivation, dry cough without signs of acute respiratory infections may appear.
Treatment of pinworms during pregnancy
You should not treat enterobiasis on your own, as a professional approach to the treatment of helminthiasis will help a woman get rid of the disease without harm to herself and her unborn child. The doctor will help you choose a drug that is not toxic to the fetus, determine whether the treatment was effective.
Recommended drugs for the treatment of enterobiasis during pregnancy:
Pyrantel;
Decaris;
Piperazine.
Basically, these drugs destroy pinworms after a single use. Zinc ointment can be used at the same time. She lubricates the anus after the evening toilet. Zinc ointment is an antiseptic that sanitizes the anus from pinworms and their eggs. Local action has anthelmintic drugs in the form of rectal suppositories. Their action is based on herbal ingredients, so the drugs have a minimum of contraindications.
Suppositories for pregnant women:
Prostate;
Wormil;
Gelma-Vitol.
Their use is designed for 7 days of treatment, during which one suppository is inserted into the anus daily.
There is another way to treat enterobiasis without the use of drugs. It is based on the features of the development of pinworms. If you do not allow self-infection, carefully observe hygiene, change underwear and bed linen twice a day, wash vegetables and fruits with both running and boiled water, then pinworms will leave the body after 3-4 weeks.