TY - JOUR
T1 - Weight gain of Kenyan school children infected with hookworm, Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides is improved following once- or twice- yearly treatment with albendazole
AU - Stephenson, L. S.
AU - Latham, M. C.
AU - Adams, E. J.
AU - Kinoti, S. N.
AU - Pertet, A.
PY - 1993
Y1 - 1993
N2 - We studied growth in infected children given one dose (600 mg) or two doses of albendazole per school year. Children were examined and allocated at random within sex by descending hookworm egg count to one of three groups: placebo (n = 93), one dose (1x, n = 96) or two doses (2x, n = 95). Each child was treated and then re-examined and treated 3.6 and 8.2 mo later (Exams 2 and 3). The 1x and 2x groups gained significantly more by Exam 3 than the placebo group in weight (1.1 and 0.9 kg more, respectively), percent weight- for-age (3.3 and 2.7 percentage points more), percent weight-for-height (3.1 and 2.9 percentage points more), percent arm circumference-for-age (2.3 and 2.0 percentage points more) and triceps and subscapular skinfolds but did not differ significantly from each other. The placebo group showed significant decreases between exams (P < 0.0002) in percent weight-for-age and percent arm circumference-for-age and no change in percent weight-for-height, whereas the 1x and 2x groups exhibited significant increases (P < 0.005). At Exam 3, arithmetic mean egg reduction rates for the 1x and 2x groups were 84 and 95% for hookworm, 42 and 32% for Trichuris and 55 and 87% for Ascaris, respectively. We conclude that one or two doses of albendazole per year resulted in similar growth improvements, despite reinfection, in school-age children in an area where these helminths and poor growth are prevalent.
AB - We studied growth in infected children given one dose (600 mg) or two doses of albendazole per school year. Children were examined and allocated at random within sex by descending hookworm egg count to one of three groups: placebo (n = 93), one dose (1x, n = 96) or two doses (2x, n = 95). Each child was treated and then re-examined and treated 3.6 and 8.2 mo later (Exams 2 and 3). The 1x and 2x groups gained significantly more by Exam 3 than the placebo group in weight (1.1 and 0.9 kg more, respectively), percent weight- for-age (3.3 and 2.7 percentage points more), percent weight-for-height (3.1 and 2.9 percentage points more), percent arm circumference-for-age (2.3 and 2.0 percentage points more) and triceps and subscapular skinfolds but did not differ significantly from each other. The placebo group showed significant decreases between exams (P < 0.0002) in percent weight-for-age and percent arm circumference-for-age and no change in percent weight-for-height, whereas the 1x and 2x groups exhibited significant increases (P < 0.005). At Exam 3, arithmetic mean egg reduction rates for the 1x and 2x groups were 84 and 95% for hookworm, 42 and 32% for Trichuris and 55 and 87% for Ascaris, respectively. We conclude that one or two doses of albendazole per year resulted in similar growth improvements, despite reinfection, in school-age children in an area where these helminths and poor growth are prevalent.
KW - ascaris lumbricoides
KW - children
KW - growth
KW - hookworm
KW - trichuris trichiura
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U2 - 10.1093/jn/123.4.656
DO - 10.1093/jn/123.4.656
M3 - Article
C2 - 8463866
AN - SCOPUS:0027506232
SN - 0022-3166
VL - 123
SP - 656
EP - 665
JO - Journal of Nutrition
JF - Journal of Nutrition
IS - 4
ER -