Question
Dear doctor! What are the symptoms of worms in a child’s stomach? Currently, my son is just grinding his teeth at night, loves constipation, has night sweats, and sometimes grinds his teeth while sleeping. He doesn’t like to eat and is picky with his food, and he is very thin. Are these symptoms caused by worms? Also, which department in the hospital should we go to for a check-up? What kind of examination projects should we do?
Answer
Children with worms often have abdominal pain as a symptom, which can be manifested in several aspects: first, they often complain of stomachache, especially around the navel area and like to rub and press it. Second, children are easily startled awake during sleep at night, grind their teeth, and drool. Third, there are pale white spots that are almost circular or oval-shaped on the face, neck, and skin, with fine grayish-white scales on them, which are commonly known as worm spots. Children may have a lack of appetite, and some may show picky eating or anorexia. Some children even have a preference for eating strange things like paper or fabric pieces.