American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [220]
Symptoms
Some children who have pinworms do not have any symptoms. Others experience itching between the buttocks and around the anus, usually at night. Some girls with pinworms may have vaginal itching and may experience pain when urinating. In many children, pinworms interfere with normal sleep.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis of pinworms is based on a child’s symptoms and the results of a physical examination. Pinworms are sometimes visible in stool or may be visible around the child’s anus, especially at night. You can confirm the presence of pinworms by briefly placing a strip of transparent tape across your child’s anus in the early morning (before he or she has a bowel movement). Any eggs in the area will stick to the tape. Put the egg-infested tape in a plastic bag and take it to the doctor’s office. The doctor can examine it under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment
Because pinworms spread easily, the doctor may recommend treating the entire family with prescription medications (antihelmintics) that kill worms. To relieve anal inflammation, the doctor may recommend applying a nonprescription ointment that contains a substance that kills pinworm eggs.
Because it is relatively easy to become reinfested with pinworms, the doctor will recommend that everyone in the household wash their hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after going to the toilet or handling a pet, and before touching food. All family members should cut their fingernails short and keep them short to reduce the risk of spreading the eggs. To kill the pinworm eggs, change all bed linens and underwear daily, wash them in very hot water, and dry them on high heat. Because pets can also be infested with pinworms, your doctor will recommend taking your pets to a veterinarian for evaluation and treatment.
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Adolescent Health
Adolescence is the transition period from childhood to adulthood. Changes associated with adolescence normally begin soon after age 10 in girls and after 12 in boys. Adolescence is generally considered to last to age 18 or 20, although there are individual variations. Growth toward physical maturity tends to level off soon after age 17 in both sexes. During these developmental years, a person undergoes physical, mental, and emotional changes that can make adolescence an especially difficult time.
Physical and Sexual Development at Puberty
A person experiences physical changes during puberty that transform him or her from a child into an adult who is capable of reproducing. Puberty is relatively short, usually lasting about 5 to 7 years.
Although the hormonal changes that signal the beginning of puberty usually start at about age 10 in girls and 12 in boys, there are wide variations in adolescent growth patterns. While both boys and girls grow taller and gain weight during puberty, girls generally start their growth spurt much earlier than boys. Body weight can double during this period, usually because of a hormone-influenced increase in muscle mass in boys and fat in girls. Heredity is an important factor in sexual development—a girl usually starts menstruating at about the same age as her mother or a grandmother. A boy’s physical and sexual development is likely to follow the pattern of his father or grandfathers. Whether an adolescent develops earlier or later than his or her peers can also depend on factors such as general health. For example, poor nutrition or illness during childhood may delay the onset of puberty. In addition, a child who is smaller or thinner than average is likely to develop relatively late.