10 Effective Home Remedies For Worm Infections In Toddlers

Team AckoFeb 8, 2024

Do you have a toddler at home who has an itchy bottom or frequent tummy aches? It’s quite probable that your toddler has worm infection. Worm infection in toddlers is a type of intestinal infection that is caused by worms, an intestinal parasite. The worms live in your child’s intestine, feed on his nutrition and make him sick. They lay eggs and multiply in your toddler’s body making the situation worse. But don’t worry; there are lots of simple and effective home remedies to get rid of intestinal worm infections in toddlers. 

Home remedies for worm infection in toddlers 

Try the following remedies at home for your little one if you want to avoid giving him medicines:

Garlic

It is one of the most commonly used home remedy for worm infection and is usually available in your kitchen. It is a strong anti-parasitic due to its high amounts of sulfur-containing amino acids. Garlic also has antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties which help in killing microbes present in your toddler’s body. There are different ways of using garlic to get rid of intestinal worms:

• Give 2-3 cloves of raw garlic daily to your toddler on an empty stomach for a week.

• Boil 2-3 crushed cloves of garlic in half a cup of milk and give it to him daily for a week.

• You can also make a paste of raw garlic and mix it with a petroleum jelly like Vaseline and apply it to the anal region of your toddler. This will kill the worm eggs in the region and relive your toddler’s itching too. Take care not to apply if your toddler’s skin is very sensitive or has inflammation or broken skin in the area.

Raw Papaya 

Raw papaya has been used since ages to get rid of worms. Raw papaya has an enzyme called papain which has anthelmintic properties (ability to destroy parasitic worms). Papaya seeds also contain caricin, a substance that can expel the intestinal roundworms from your toddler’s body. The different ways of using papaya are:

• Powder papaya seeds and add 1 teaspoon of it to a cup of water or milk. Let your toddler drink this daily on an empty stomach in the morning for 3 days.

• Mix 1 tablespoon of raw papaya juice and 1 tablespoon of honey in 3-4 tablespoons of warm milk or water. Feed this to your toddler on an empty stomach daily for 3 days.

• You can also make an infusion by taking 15g of dry papaya leaves and adding 250ml of boiling water to it. Strain, add honey and then give it to your toddler to drink on an empty stomach daily for 3-4 days.

Coconut

Coconut is another well-used item to deworm your toddler and very effective too especially for threadworms. It has very strong anti-parasitic properties.  A couple of ways of using coconut are:

• Give your toddler 1 tablespoon of grated coconut daily at breakfast time for a week.

• Give 4-6 teaspoons of extra-virgin coconut oil daily, in the morning, to your toddler for a week. The oil contains medium-chain triglycerides that will expel the worms from his body. In addition to it, the oil will also boost his immunity to prevent the infection from recurring.

Carrots 

Carrots contain high amounts of vitamin A which is an immunity booster. Give your toddler a cup of freshly grated carrot every morning on an empty stomach for a week. Do not give any other food along with the carrot. Threadworms get cleared easily with this home remedy. You can give him carrot juice, in case he refuses to eat the grated carrot.

Pumpkin seeds 

Pumpkin seeds have cucurbitacin which has anti-parasitic properties that paralyze the worms (roundworms and tapeworms) and so they are unable to hold on to the intestinal walls and are thus expelled from the body. Add a tablespoon of roasted and crushed pumpkin seeds to a tablespoon of honey. Include laxative foods like papaya, kiwi, and bananas for the breakfast after eating this mixture to expel the fallen worms. You can also blend a handful of pumpkin to a fruit juice of your choice and give it to your toddler.

Carom seeds

Thymol content in carom seeds has the ability to inhibit the growth of intestinal worms. The process of giving this to your toddler is as follows:

• Give your toddler a tablespoon of grated jaggery on an empty stomach. Wait for 15-20 minutes. Then give him ¼ to ½ teaspoon of crushed carom seeds with a glass of water. Repeat daily for 2 weeks.

Turmeric

Turmeric is also an excellent remedy for intestinal worms as it has anthelmintic properties. It can make the worms ill and damage the eggs laid by them. Give your toddler a glass of warm water or buttermilk with a teaspoon of turmeric powder added to it. Repeat daily for 5-7 days to destroy the worms.

Cloves

Cloves contain antiseptic, anti-parasitic and bactericidal properties and can thus flush out intestinal worms. It also builds resistance to future infections. Add a teaspoon of cloves to a cup of hot water and keep it for 15-20 minutes. Let your toddler drink this water thrice a week to get rid of the worms.

Neem

Neem or Indian Lilac has anti-parasitic properties and can thus destroy intestinal worms. There are different ways of using it:

• To honey and warm milk, add powdered neem leaves. Let your toddler drink this twice a week.

• Roast neem leaves in ghee (clarified butter) and give it to your toddler to eat with rice.

• Make a paste of neem leaves. Add half a teaspoon of this paste to warm water and give it to your toddler to drink on an empty stomach daily for a week. Repeat on alternate weeks till the worms disappear.

Pomegranate

The leaves, stem, bark, and root of the pomegranate plant have anthelmintic properties. Punicine present in the pomegranate bark is very poisonous for intestinal worms. 

• Boil a piece of the bark (around 1-1.5 inch) in one cup of water. Boil it till the volume reduces to 1/2 of a cup. Let it cool down. Let your toddler drink this water thrice a day with 2-hour intervals in between. Then let him eat a laxative fruit like banana, avocado or kiwi to facilitate a bowel movement. Repeat procedure for a few days.

• Eating pomegranate fruit or drinking its juice will also help your toddler in preventing an intestinal worm infection.

These 10 home remedies are very effective in de-worming your toddler. However, do note that if the worm infection was left untreated for a long time, it may cause severe problems that will need immediate medical treatment from a doctor. Also, it is better to give your toddler an exclusive fresh-fruit diet while the deworming process is going on. Avoid foods that are rich in refined sugar content. Follow fruit diet with a well-balanced diet containing fruits, vegetables, milk and wholemeal bread. Avoid fatty food as well. 

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, based on industry experience and secondary sources. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified expert for health or insurance-related decisions. Content is subject to change, refer to current policy wordings for specific ACKO details.