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Ascaris and growth rates: a randomized trial of treatment
Insights
Levamisole treatment in Tanzanian children improved weight gain by 8% compared to placebo over one year. This effect was more pronounced, at 21%, in children infected with Ascaris, indicating its potential in parasitic infections.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Infectious Diseases
- Parasitology
Background:
- Ascariasis is a common helminthic infection in preschool children, particularly in developing countries.
- Malnutrition and impaired growth are significant public health concerns in affected populations.
- Levamisole is an anthelmintic drug with potential immunomodulatory properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of periodic levamisole treatment on the growth of Tanzanian preschool children.
- To assess if levamisole treatment improves weight and height gain in children with and without Ascaris infection.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted with 341 Tanzanian preschool children.
- Participants received either levamisole or placebo every three months for one year.
- Weight and height were measured tri-monthly, with a focus on children infected with Ascaris at baseline.
Main Results:
- Overall, levamisole treatment resulted in an 8% greater rate of weight gain compared to placebo (p = .06) among 273 children followed for one year.
- In children with confirmed Ascaris infection at baseline (n=78), levamisole treatment led to a 21% greater rate of weight gain (p = .03).
- No significant difference in height gain was observed between the levamisole and placebo groups.
Conclusions:
- Periodic levamisole treatment may enhance weight gain in preschool children, particularly those infected with Ascaris.
- Levamisole shows promise as an intervention to improve nutritional status in children suffering from parasitic infections.
- Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms and long-term effects of levamisole on child growth.
Abstract:
Three hundred forty-one Tanzanian preschool children were randomly assigned to levamisole or placebo treatment given at three-month intervals. Weights and heights were measured at the tri-monthly treatment visits for a period of one year. Among the 273 children who were seen and weighed at the one-year follow-up visit, the rate of weight gain was 8 per cent greater for those receiving levamisole than for placebo-treated controls (p = .06). In 78 children known to be infected with Ascaris at baseline, the rate of weight gain was 21 per cent greater in children treated with levamisole than in those receiving placebo (p = .03). The rate of height gain was no different for treatment and placebo groups.