Although Oxyuris vermicularis occurs very frequently in children, material from which to study the early development, mature female worms, was difficult to obtain.

Specimens were found both in the normal stool and in the stool after treatment with santonin. Egg-laying began as soon as the worms came into contact with air; those which happened to be on the surface very quickly became surrounded by a white deposit of eggs and the worms themselves became reduced to fine threads, which were difficult to detect: Egg-laying was also induced by bringing females into water at body temperature.