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Medically Verified By: Dr Prakash Vaidya, consultant pediatrics at Fortis Hospital Mulund
Deworming is extremely important for children, especially when it comes to their overall health. Without deworming, intestinal worms can cause a lot of health problems, including delayed physical development, doctors warn. Parents are, therefore, advised to be regular with their children's deworming schedule. It should be noted that intestinal worms -- that are essentially parasites -- affect children of all ages. They spread easily, and kids often get them from hand-to-mouth contact, since the worm larvae breed under their fingernails. Children who eat without washing their hands after playing outdoors in the soil, or those who have unclean hands after using the washroom are at risk. Children may also get the worms from eating unwashed fruits and vegetables contaminated by dirt. The worms can be of various types like hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, etc., and can seriously impact the nutrition and growth levels of a child. The World Health Organization (WHO), therefore, recommends regular deworming of children as a public health intervention.
Citing the case of a five-year-old patient, Dr Prakash Vaidya, consultant pediatrics at Fortis Hospital Mulund said his worried mother complained that her son was 'always tired' and 'never interested in studies'. "On examination, his lips and conjunctivae were found to be pale, and he exhibited all the signs of anemia, a diagnosis which was later confirmed by a lab test. His mother, however, was very particular about his diet and nutrition. She avoided giving him junk food and fed him balanced healthy meals cooked in iron vessels. She had been doing everything right to avoid iron deficiency." Why then was the child anemic?
After ruling out medical conditions via a detailed clinical examination, the doctor realised that the little boy had been suffering from helminthiasis (worm infestation) most likely caused by a hookworm infestation. His condition rapidly improved after taking iron supplementation and Albendazole (a common deworming medication).
Dr Vaidya warned that hookworm and other worm infestations are prevalent all over the world, including India, which has a very high burden of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) viz ascaris (roundworms, hookworm, and whipworm). "We are estimated to harbour 25 per cent of the world's STH cases. Adult worms live in human intestines and produce thousands of eggs daily. These are expelled via stool, and since sanitation is still poor in many parts of India and open defecation is, unfortunately, still common, these spread into the soil from where they find their way into water and food. The eggs may also find their way into a child's mouth due to poor hygiene," the doctor cautioned.
The doctor stated that intestinal worm infestations (STHs) pose a significant health risk to children of all ages, with younger children being more vulnerable. These infestations contribute to anemia and hinder growth, development, and national productivity.
"A simple, cost-effective intervention like biannual deworming with Albendazole (400mg for children aged 2-19 years, 200mg for those who are 1-2 years old) can effectively eliminate these parasites, addressing a major cause of anemia, which affects over 50 per cent of the population. Albendazole is safe, effective, and recommended by WHO," the doctor concluded.