Relationships between Ascaris infection and growth of malnourished preschool children in Kenya

Abstract

A longitudinal study in Ascaris-infected and noninfected children was conducted in two Kenyan villages. Anthropometric, clinical, and stool exams were performed three times at 14-week intervals. All children received an anthelmintic drug (levamisole) at the second examination. In the 14 weeks before deworming, children with Ascaris (n = 61) did not differ from controls (n = 125) in percentage expected weight gain. In the 14 weeks after deworming, previously infected children showed higher percentage expected weight gain than controls. Before deworming, there was a statistically significant (P less than 0.0005) decrease in triceps skinfold thickness in Ascaris-infected children versus controls. After deworming, skinfold increased significantly (P less than 0.0005) in previously infected children versus controls. Multiple regression analysis showed that Ascaris infection was by far the most important variable of those studied explaining decrease in skinfold thickness before and increase after deworming. It appears that even light Ascaris infections might adversely influence nutritional status, and deworming might enhance growth.

Association between geohelminth infections and physical growth in schoolchildren

“…The negative impact of parasitic infections on growth is observed in many studies that use different measurements and indicators of anthropometric status, such as weight [15][16][17][18] , height [19][20][21] weight-forage 16,22 , height-for-age 16 and weight-forheight 17,[22][23][24] . For these authors, infections act negatively over the genetic growth potential of children and adolescents, keeping them from reaching full somatic growth.…”

Ascaris and ascariasis

“…While Ascaris is most prevalent in areas of low socioeconomic status and thus poverty and malnutrition, studies indicate that Ascaris infection exerts a chronic influence on host nutrition [54]. Despite this, various intervention and clinical studies, the majority of which are focused on school children, demonstrated that infection is associated with appetite loss [55], lactose maldigestion [56] and impaired weight gain [55,57]. Age intensity profiles indicate that those harbouring heavy infections are young children at vulnerable stages of growth and development, and for this reason the impact of infection on nutritional status remains of primary concern and interest.…”

“…Similarly to human infection, porcine hosts display stunted growth and consume less food than uninfected controls [57,59].…”

“…Ascaris-infected pigs also display reduced food intake and growth rate [57,59], and impaired lactase activity in the intestinal mucosa [59], all of which are significantly correlated with the intensity of infection [59]. Stephenson et al [57] examined the effects of adult Ascaris infection in pigs on controlled diets and demonstrated that the effects on the nutritional status of the hosts was most evident in pigs on marginal protein diets. Furthermore, the efficiency of feed utilisation in Ascaris-infected pigs was decreased, which was a product of the observed reduction of the villar height to crypt depth ratio in the intestines.…”

Condicoes nutricionais e a presenca de parasitas intestinais em criancas atendidas em hospitais do municipio de Guarapuava / PR

“…Várias investigações demonstram que as condições nutricionais e a presença de parasitos intestinais em crianças, principalmente Ascaris lumbricoides, se correlacionam intensamente, uma vez que uma elevada carga parasitária no intestino pode ocasionar redução na entrada de nutrientes e absorção intestinal, aumento do catabolismo e sequestro de nutrientes requeridos para a síntese e crescimento tecidual. (FERREIRA et al, 1991;ANONYMOUS, 1983;STEPHENSON, 1980;MUNIZ-JUNQUEIRA;QUEIROZ;. Nossos resultados demonstraram que das 90 crianças com enteroparasitoses que foram hospitalizadas, 64 crianças encontravam-se com défi cit nutricional, fato que pode determinar a suscetibilidade à infecção por enteropasitoses.…”