A top Irish paediatrician has told parents how they can watch out for a common parasite that may have infected their children.
Sharing a video on her TikTok account Dr Niamh Lynch told parents the signs and symptoms to watch out for to tell if they may have threadworms.
She said: "Threadworms are a common parasite, and they are particularly common in children.
"They're really small. They measure about two to 13mm, so although they're small, they are visible to the naked eye."
Dr Lynch said she had seen the worms present in her own daughter and advised parents on what to watch out for.
She said: "I've seen them in my own child once, and that was enough.
"So the night I saw them, she was complaining that her bottom was sore and itchy.
"She got up to go to the bathroom. She sat on the toilet, and I said, I'll just take a look down there and see if I can see maybe a rash or something. And there they all were, the little worms all around her bottom."
The threadworms, also known as pinworms, are tiny worms in the stool and can usually be treated with advice from your pharmacist.
Dr Lynch explained why it might be easier to identify the worms at night.
She said: "So what they do is they come out at night time to lay their eggs, and then the child scratches and scratches and scratches and the eggs get lodged under their fingernails so that they can spread in the environment for other children to pick up."
Threadworms spread when their eggs are swallowed, and they can pass on to anything you touch, including clothes, toys, toothbrushes, kitchen or bathroom surfaces, bedding, food and pets.
The eggs can then pass to other people when they touch these surfaces and touch their mouth.
Children can get worms again after they've been treated. This can happen if they get the eggs in their mouth. It's important to encourage children to wash their hands regularly.
Dr Lynch said to avoid this, you should check your child for worms and keep their nails short.
She said: "It's really important if your child is complaining of a sore bottom check to get them treated and keep their fingernails short and clean."
