What Are Pinworms?
Pinworms are tiny worms that can cause an infection in the intestines. Pinworm infections affects millions of people each year, especially school-age kids
If your child develops a pinworm infection, try not to worry. Pinworms don't cause any harm (just itching and restless sleep), and it won't take long to get rid of them.
How Do Pinworm Infections Spread?
Pinworm infections are contagious. The worms get into the body when people swallow the tiny pinworm eggs. The eggs can be on contaminated hands, under fingernails, and on things people touch a lot, such as:
- clothing, bed linens, and towels
- bathroom surfaces
- drinking glasses and eating utensils
- toys
- kitchen surfaces
- desks or lunch tables at school
Less often, eggs can spread when someone shakes out contaminated clothing or sheets, sending the eggs into the air, where they can get inhaled.
The eggs pass into the digestive system, where they hatch. About 1 to 2 months later, adult female pinworms lay eggs on the skin right around the anus, which makes the area itchy. Often, this happens at night.
When someone scratches the itchy area, tiny pinworm eggs get on their fingers. Contaminated fingers can then carry pinworm eggs to the mouth, where they go back into the body, or onto touched surfaces, where they can live for 2 to 3 weeks.