The Indian government has launched a National Deworming Drive and has set a target of deworming approximately 27 crore children across the country, starting today.
The initiative is a nation-wide preschool and school-based effort to deworm all children at risk of worm infestations, reports the newsminute.com.
"Worms interfere with the nutrient uptake in children and can lead to anaemia, malnourishment and impaired mental and physical development. Research has shown that worms also pose a serious threat to children's education and productivity later in life. Deworming reduces the risk of worm infections in children," said an official statement released by the Ministry of health.
Parasitic worms or soil-transmitted helminths (STH), are among the most common infections worldwide. More than 1.5 billion people or 24 per cent of the world's population suffer from worm infections globally, said the statement.
Why you should deworm your toddler
The deworming drive throws the spotlight on deworming— which is essential for children. Parasites of all kinds, some of which are not even visible to the naked eye, are all around us. Tapeworms, ringworms, pinworms—all of these can easily enter your child’s body, which is why deworming is essential for Indian kids, especially those who spend a lot of time playing in muddy playgrounds, and parks.
Kids who spend a lot of time playing with pets should also be dewormed regularly. Worm eggs can even enter your child’s body when he eats fruits or other food items that are not washed properly. Here are 4 ways in which intestinal worms can harm your child’ health.
- They steal your child’s nutrition: Parasites are basically organisms that feed on their host’s body, which unfortunately is your child in this case. If your child has worms in his intestines he would frequently complain of stomachache, nausea, a loss of appetite, itchy bottoms, skin rashes and diarrhea.
- They could lead to sleep disorders: A child with worm infestation will have a sore tummy and would generally be quite irritable which could also lead to sleeplessness and insomnia. Pinworms also irritate the anus and the rectum and a child who has pinworms will be scratching his bottom many times in the night.
- Your child would be constantly coughing: Worm infestation also lead to constant coughs in kids, especially in the night.
- Your kid would have a loss of appetite: Intestinal worms also trigger a loss of appetite in kids and kids with parasitic worms loose a lot of weight and would be generally very cranky.
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