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Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
10:57

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children

Published on: August 22, 2012

Infantile hookworm disease

Vidyut Bhatia1, Manoja Kumar Das, Pawan Kumar

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Indian Pediatrics
|March 16, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Hookworm infection in infants is rare but can cause severe symptoms like anemia and poor weight gain. Diagnosis often requires endoscopy when initial stool tests are inconclusive.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Hookworm infection is a widespread parasitic disease, primarily affecting children in tropical and subtropical regions.
  • While common in older children, hookworm infestation in neonates and infants is exceptionally rare and underreported.

Observation:

  • Two cases of hookworm infestation in infants are presented.
  • Infants exhibited severe clinical signs including malena (dark, tarry stools), profound pallor, lethargy, and failure to thrive.
  • Initial stool examinations failed to detect hookworm ova or parasites.

Findings:

  • Diagnosis was definitively established through upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
  • Endoscopic visualization confirmed hookworm presence in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Implications:

  • This case series highlights the importance of considering hookworm infection in infants presenting with severe gastrointestinal bleeding and anemia, even with negative initial stool results.
  • Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a crucial diagnostic tool for hookworm infestation in neonates and infants when standard methods are insufficient.
  • Early diagnosis and treatment are vital to prevent severe complications and ensure proper growth and development in affected infants.

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