The Effect of a Deworming Intervention to Improve Early Childhood Growth and Development in Resource-poor Areas
Malnutrition or Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic
Worldwide, over 2 billion people suffer from worm infections in developing countries. These infections are especially damaging to the health of children, resulting in both short-term and lifelong disability. Older children with worm infections are more likely to be stunted, underweight, vulnerable to other illnesses and perform poorly in school compared to non-infected children. Large-scale deworming programs in school-age children are therefore recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO also recommends deworming of preschool-age children (as of 12 months of age) in these areas; however, the benefits of deworming, especially in the 12-24 month age group, have been inadequately studied. This knowledge is urgently needed as studies show that all children have a similar potential for healthy growth and development, provided that appropriate nutrition and health interventions are given in the critical window of opportunity before the age of two. Therefore, the investigators are proposing to undertake a randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of deworming program for improving growth and development in children between 12 and 24 months of age. Our results will provide solid rigorous evidence on if, when, and how often, deworming should be integrated into routine child health care packages provided by Ministries of Health in the 130 countries in the world where worm infections are endemic.
children attending any one of the participating study health centres for their routine 12-month growth and development visit
children living in or near the study area
children who are attending the clinic for suspected STH infection
children who have received deworming treatment in the six months prior to randomization
parents planning to move outside of the study area within the next 12 months
children under 12 months of age or 14 months of age or older
children with serious congenital or chronic medical conditions and who would be considered by the attending staff not to benefit from deworming
Asociacion Civil Selva Amazonica
Tris trial is registered with FDA with number: NCT01314937. The sponsor of the trial is McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and it is looking for 1760 volunteers for the current phase.
Improving Early Childhood Growth and Development in Resource-poor LMICs by Incorporating Deworming in Integrated Child Health Care
MalnutritionIntestinal Diseases, Parasitic