This article is part of the network’s archive of useful research information. This article is closed to new comments due to inactivity. We welcome new content which can be done by submitting an article for review or take part in discussions in an open topic or submit a blog post to take your discussions online.
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis, considered among the neglected tropical diseases by WHO, affect more than a third of the world's population, with varying intensity of infection. The authors aimed to evaluate the effects of mass deworming for soil-transmitted helminths (with or without deworming for schistosomiasis or co-interventions) on growth, educational achievement, cognition, school attendance, quality of life, and adverse effects in children in endemic helminth areas. Mass deworming for soil-transmitted helminths with or without deworming for schistosomiasis had little effect. For schistosomiasis, mass deworming might be effective for weight but is probably ineffective for height, cognition, and attendance. Future research should assess which subset of children do benefit from mass deworming, if any, using individual participant data meta-analysis.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(16)30242-X/fulltext
References
WHO. Helminth control in school-age children. A guide for managers of control programmes. 2nd edn. World Health Organization, Geneva; 2011
Taylor-Robinson, DC, Maayan, N, Soares-Weiser, K, Donegan, S, and Garner, P. Deworming drugs for soil-transmitted intestinal worms in children: effects on nutritional indicators, haemoglobin, and school performance. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015; 7 (CD000371)
Hotez, P, Mistry, N, and Fenwick, A. Should deworming policies in the developing world be reconsidered? Speaking of medicine. PLOS Blogs.