Trinidad Guardian
Monday 28th August, 2006
The holiday tradition called worming Herbalist Philip Franco strongly advocates worming as a healthy form of ridding the body of waste.
Specialist paediatrician Dr Alison Murphy does not subscribe to routine worming and purging of children.
BY MARSHA MOKOOL
The one dreaded part of August holidays for school children in the old days was the purging ritual by parents, a tradition followed before the reopening of school. The most popular methods used included epsom salts, castor oil and senna leaves. For babies and infants there was also the occasional worming.
Val routinely worms out her children because she believes that all children have worms.
“My mother used to give me worm medicine because her mother gave it to her. So it has become like a family tradition,” said Val.
Val, a mother of four, worms and purges her children throughout the year, particularly during the school holidays.
“This is around the time they indulge in plenty sweets and soft drinks. I believe that worming is the only way to get rid of toxins,” she said.
Estha, on the other hand, does not administer worm medicine or laxatives to her two boys, unless their paediatrician prescribes it.
“I think parents ought to be cautious when it comes to these things. You can’t give children medicine if they don’t need it,” she said.
Prevention before cure
Specialist paediatrician Dr Alison Murphy does not believe in the old routine practice of worming and purging children.
She believes that children should adopt a healthier pattern of eating, rather than subscribing to these practices.
“Parents should address what their children are eating, instead of administering medicine,” she said.
She noted that some parents are more lenient with what their children eat when school is out.
“The whole concept of a clean-out is to reverse the side effects of eating a whole lot of junk food. But why give them junk food in the first place?
“We are not discarding the old approach. But parents ought to be more vigilant about what their children eat throughout the year,” she said.
Killing worms
Worm medicine is especially designed to kill worms. But it can also have side effects, according to Murphy.
“All medicines have side effects, which is why parents should not administer worm medicine routinely to children,” she said.
She noted that some parents routinely worm their children with the false belief they have worms.
“If your child is eating a lot of junk or does not have a healthy appetite, these are not clear signs of worms.
“But if you inspect the child’s bottom at night you can see it and make a positive diagnosis,” she said.
The most common type of worms she sees in children is the pin worm, a fine worm that lays eggs on the skin, causing an itchy anus.
“This is a contagious condition which could be transferred to family members and school peers through dirty fingernails,” she said.
But she noted a decrease in the frequency of worming out children.
“Worming out used to be common in the old days. It is more common now in the country areas where there is more contact with farm animals,” she said.
Worm medicine is generally tolerated well. Some of the possible side effects are nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Laxatives
She also warned about the dangers of giving children laxatives.
“This can be potentially dangerous to children because it causes a lot of trauma in their tiny systems,” she said.
“We endorse healthy eating. We encourage children to drink a lot of water to purify their system, eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and stay away from junk food, processed foods, soft drinks and juices,” she said.
She also believes that children should adopt an active lifestyle, especially during the lazy summer holidays.
“There must be a balance. Children must adopt a healthy lifestyle from the start which includes exercise,” she said.
She encourages activity camps and family outings during the summer holidays.
Ridding the body of parasites
Philip Franco, proprietor of The Natural Medicine Centre at 25 Alexandra Street, St Clair, believes that worming out is a wise traditional practice.
“The long-time regular worming was a good practice that seems to occur much less in households today,” Franco lamented.
One of the major herbs used for worming is wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Two other herbs on the market are senna and cascara, which are stimulant laxatives used to treat constipation.
“Parasitic diseases are much more widespread than many people realise. Parasites are partly responsible for most human diseases,” said Franco.
Parasites are creatures that live on and in our bodies, invading our skin, blood, intestinal tract and every organ within the human body.
Parasites include bacteria, viruses, fungi, mites and worms.
“Worming out is good for both children and adults. It is a safe practice for children and a lot safer than using laxatives,” he said.
It is suggested that half of the world population is infected with parasites at above an acceptable level, and that a quarter of us have worms as thick as pencils and about ten inches long in our intestinal tracts.
“Intestinal worms eat our food, robbing us of nutrients, and releasing their toxic waste within us.
“If you kill the worms, the toxins inside the worm will discharge causing a natural reaction of the bowels,” he said.
“When parasites are not dealt with or treated properly, they can stay within us and wreak havoc on our immune system, eventually causing the immune system to start attacking the body.
“This can lead to a host of diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and the dreaded lupus,” he said.
©2005-2006 Trinidad Publishing Company Limited