The Danger Of Drinking Goodsworms, Can Be Risky For Children And Adults

Officers provide deworming drugs to toddlers at Posyandu Bougenvile, Depok City, West Java. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - worm medicine is often taken lightly because it is easy to buy in the market, even though it should not be consumed carelessly without clear indications.

Inaccurate use can actually cause side effects, although mild, so it is important to consult with medical personnel before drinking them.

Members of the Coordination Work Unit (UKK) for Tropical Disease Infection of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), dr. Riyadi, SpA, Subs IPT(K), MKes emphasized that the administration of worm medicine for both children and adults should be done when there are signs of worm infection.

"So if there are symptoms, there are indications of course. But don't forget, it should be called taking drugs with the advice of a doctor. This is important because worm medicine is like an antibiotic drug. He is antimicrobial, anti-microorganism. Don't overuse it," Riyadi said in a webinar that was followed in Jakarta, Friday.

He reminded the public not to just buy worm medicine in the market and consume it excessively. According to him, although it is relatively safe, this drug still has the potential for side effects on the body.

Common symptoms that indicate an infection with worms include coughing like a lung infection, nausea, decreased appetite, difficulty urinating, to increasing eosinophyllic levels in blood tests.

Types of worm medicine commonly used include Albendazol, Mebendazol, and Pirantel Pamoat. These three drugs can be used for various types of infections, such as bandworms, roundworms, and suction worms. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) guide, Albenzol for children aged 12 24 months is given at a single dose of 200 mg, while for children over 2 years old and adults the dose is 400 mg at a time.

If you use Mebendazol, a single dose of 500 mg is given to children over the age of 2 years and adults. As for babies under 1 year old, the recommended option is Pirantel Pamoat with a dose of 10'11 mg/kg of weight, a maximum of 1 gram.

In order to make the results more effective, worm medicine should be taken in an empty stomach. In addition, in areas with a high prevalence of capacities of more than 20 percent, doctor Riyadi recommends that the prevention of Mass Prevention Drugs (POPM) is at least once to twice a year for school-age children and preschoolers over 1 year.

"As for areas with prevalence or the number of fishing incidents above 20 percent, at least children in school age and preschool over 1 year must consume between one to two times the provision of catfishing Mass Prevention Drugs (POPM)," he said.

Globally, worms are still a big health problem. WHO data in 2023 recorded around 1.5 billion people worldwide infected with worms, with the majority of cases coming from worm clusters whose life cycles are transmitted through the soil.

In Indonesia itself, an alarming case occurred in Sukabumi in July 2025, when a 4-year-old child with the initials RY died. The medical team found live worms weighing up to one kilogram from his body, even spreading to the brain.