Hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Trichuris trichiura each are estimated to infect ⅙ to ¼ of the world's population. Many studies show the association between infestation with these parasites and poor growth in children. Although the long-term solutions to malnutrition lie in eradicating poverty and in community-based programs to improve health care, living conditions, sanitation, water supplies, and health education, the enormous financial and logistic difficulties of implementing such improvements led these investigators to study the effectiveness of the pharmacology approach for short-term impact.
Previous studies demonstrated that nearly all primary school children in the area in Kenya in which they worked had hookworm and Trichuris trichiura and half had Ascaris lumbricoides. A population-based randomly controlled trial of a once a year, twice a year, and placebo treatment with Albendazole 600 mg follow-up after 8 months demonstrated, in the two treatment groups compared with the placebo, significant decreases in the parasite burden and significant increases in weight for age, weight for height, and arm circumference with little difference between the two treatment groups.
The mechanism by which such improvement in gravity occurred presumably involved altering host nutritional intake, metabolism, and excretion. These children did not have chronic diarrhea; therefore, the mechanism appears to be either increased by intake, metabolism, or both.
This community chemotherapeutic approach to control these parasites and improve growth and nutrition is a practical, short-term method to improve child health in areas with a high prevalence of these parasites.
Short term efficacy of nebulized beclomethasone in mild-to-moderate wheezing episodes in pre-school children
