Question
Dear Doctor, what are the symptoms of worms in a child’s stomach? My son is only grinding his teeth at night, loves constipation, sweating at night, and sometimes grinds his teeth while sleeping. He doesn’t like to eat, is picky, and is very thin. Are these symptoms caused by worms? Also, which department of the hospital should I go to for examination, and what kind of examination projects should be done?
Answer
Children with worms often have abdominal pain symptoms, which can manifest in several ways: first, they often complain of stomach pain, most commonly around the navel area and enjoy rubbing and pressing it. Second, children may easily wake up during nighttime sleep, grind their teeth, and drool. Third, there may be pale white, nearly circular or oval spots on the face, neck, and skin, with fine grayish-white scales on them, commonly known as worm spots. Children may have reduced appetite; some may exhibit picky eating or anorexia. Some children might have a preference for eating strange things like paper or cloth. When visiting the hospital, you can go to the pediatric department for related examinations. The doctor may suggest the following examination projects: routine blood tests, stool tests (worm egg detection), and infectious disease-related checks. The above suggestions are general recommendations; specific examinations should be conducted according to the doctor’s diagnosis. I hope this helps!