Breastfeeding mothers may take mebendazole and continue to breastfeed as normal

Threadworms, also known as pinworms, are tiny parasitic worms that infect the large intestine of humans. Threadworms are a common type of worm infection in the UK, particularly in children under the age of 10. European estimates have suggested that 20 to 30% of pre-school and primary-school-aged children will have threadworm infestation. The worms are white and look like small pieces of thread.

Threadworms spread easily within childcare settings when children scratch their bottoms causing the eggs which have come out of the anus, to collect underneath fingernails. They can then be transferred into the mouth or substances like PlayDough! I know it is a yucky thought bit part of toddler life!

How threadworms spread

Threadworms spread when their eggs are swallowed. They lay eggs around the bottom (anus), which make it itchy. The eggs get stuck on fingers when scratching. They can then pass on to anything touched, including:

• clothes
• toys
• toothbrushes
• kitchen or bathroom surfaces
• bedding
• food
• pets

Eggs can pass to other people when they touch these surfaces and then touch their mouth. They take around 2 weeks to hatch.

Once ingested, larvae emerge from the eggs and mature within 1–2 months into adults in the small intestine. The mature adult female worm migrates through the anus and lays thousands of eggs on the peri-anal skin (typically at night) causing itching. Adult threadworms survive for about 6 weeks and infection is maintained by swallowing fresh eggs.

Complications caused by threadworm include:

• Lack of sleep (due to itching) with subsequent daytime irritability and difficulty in concentrating.
• Bedwetting
• Weight loss or loss of appetite.
• Breakdown and soreness of the skin around the back passage

Treatment (BNF)

• In adults, 100 mg mebendazole (Ovex ™ or Vermox ™) for 1 dose. If reinfection occurs, a second dose may be needed after 2 weeks.
• In children, aged 6 months to 17 years, 100 mg for 1 dose, if reinfection occurs, a second dose may be needed after 2 weeks.

Breastfeeding

• Amount present in milk too small to be harmful but manufacturer advises avoid (BNF).
• Oral bioavailability 2-10%, highly plasma protein bound, half life 2.8-9 hours Considering the poor oral absorption and high protein binding, it is unlikely that mebendazole would be transmitted to the infant in clinically relevant concentrations (Hale Medications and Mothers Milk accessed April 2023)
• Mebendazole is poorly excreted into breastmilk and poorly absorbed orally. Reports on the use of mebendazole during breastfeeding have found no adverse reactions in breastfed infants. (LactMed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501340/ accessed April 2023)
• Based on a low oral bioavailability, concentration in the infant’s plasma should be nil or low, except in premature and newborn infants with a increased intestinal absorption capacity. (Elactancia https://www.e-lactancia.org/breastfeeding/mebendazole/product/ accessed April 2023)

Breastfeeding mothers may take the mebendazole and continue to breastfeed as normal

Things to do to stop re-infection

• wash hands and scrub under fingernails – particularly before eating, after using the toilet or changing nappies
• encourage children to wash hands regularly
• bathe or shower every morning
• rinse toothbrushes before using them
• keep fingernails short
• wash sleepwear, sheets, towels and soft toys (at a hot temperature)
• disinfect kitchen and bathroom surfaces
• vacuum and dust with a damp cloth
• make sure children wear underwear at night – change it in the morning

Head lice are a common problem with older children. Scratching the head is normally the first sign but eggs may be seen behind the ears and nape of the neck. The breastfeeding mother may need to apply preparations to her children and usually herself.  Head lice are spread by head-to-head contact common between all mums and children as well as siblings and friends, not forgetting grandparents. Headlice are not a sign of poor hygiene and in fact they prefer clean hair.

Medicated lotions should not be used unless live lice are detected after 17 days regular combing.

Prevention is best achieved by regular combing with a fine-toothed comb. For further information see https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/ and https://www.chc.org/for-parents-2/ for a video.

Head lice may be mechanically removed by meticulous combing of wet, well-conditioned hair with a fine-toothed detection comb. Combing needs to be undertaken for at least 30 minutes at four-day intervals for a minimum of two weeks. Conditioner facilitates combing particularly of long hair. If there are still live headlice then suitable chemical treatment should be used.

Treatments with lotions or liquids are preferable to shampoos which are diluted below an effective therapeutic concentration. Aqueous solutions are recommended for children with eczema or asthma. Rotation of treatments is no longer recommended. A mosaic approach is considered advisable however, whereby the child or adult is treated with a different chemical at each infestation or if a treatment fails.

Absorption of the products through the skin for sufficient quantities to pass into breastmilk is unlikely although the patient information leaflet in the box may suggest otherwise.  If a breastfeeding mother has to treat several children’s heads it may be sensible to use gloves to protect her hands and to ensure the room is well ventilated.

There are a variety of products available to treat head lice E.g., Vamousse™, Lyclear™, Full Marks™, Hedrin™

Treatments not recommended as evidence suggests that they are ineffective (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/) :

• products containing permethrin
• head lice “repellents”
• electric combs for head lice
• tree and plant oil treatments, such as tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and lavender oil herbal remedies