Effect of intestinal helminthiasis on nutritional status of schoolchildren

This study was conducted in a rural agricultural area in Siniloan, Republic of the Philippines. The subjects were the school children. The nutritional status of 58 children infected with helminthiasis (Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura) was compared with that of 19 uninfected controls. Prevalence of Ascaris and Trichuris was 40.3% and 71.4% respectively, and 36.4% of infected children had both Ascaris and Trichuris infections. Statistically significant evidence of an adverse effect of helminthiasis on serum albumin levels was found, but no child had inadequate levels of other nutrients. Although helminthic infections increase the level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in children endemically exposed to these parasites, there was no significant difference in the serum IgE among Ascaris or Trichuris infected groups in this study.