Effect of Routine Deworming on Weight of Children
Condition: Soil Transmitted Helminths
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) are among the most common infections in the world today. The
      World Health Organization (WHO) recommends mass administration of deworming medicine as a
      single routine annual dose to all school age children (SAC)(age 5-16 years) in countries
      where prevalence of Soil Transmitted Helminthic Infections (STHI) is > 20% as a safe public
      health intervention that promotes healthy growth (Category 2 Recommendation). Pakistan is
      classified as a low burden community with a reported prevalence of STHI <50%, however,routine
      deworming is not a policy in Pakistan. Currently, Pakistan is also facing a huge burden of
      malnutrition in all age groups especially in population belonging to low socioeconomic group.
      Incidentally, worm infestation by STH also occurs in this group due to associated lack of
      hygiene and poor living conditions. The coexistence of even moderate STH infections can cause
      or aggravate malnutrition. The urban slums of Karachi provide environmental, social and
      behavioral conditions that favor both STH infections and a risk of under nutrition. It is
      unknown if administering routine dose of deworming medicine to SAC as per WHO recommendation
      will contribute to improvement in indicators of nutrition status in Pakistani children living
      in urban slum conditions by eliminating worm infection.Therefore, this study is being
      conducted to determine the effect of deworming on weight of School Age Children aged between
      5 to 16 years.
    

Detailed description: 
      A randomized control trial will be conducted in an urban slum of Karachi. Eligible 5 to 16
      year old school age children will be enrolled after parental consent. The calculated total
      sample size is n= 258. Subjects will be visited at home by researcher and background
      information, risk factor presence and baseline measurements of weight, Mid Upper Arm
      Circumference (MUAC) and tricep skinfold thickness (TSF) will be measured. The intervention
      arm will be administered a single dose of chewable Albendazole 400 mg and the placebo arm
      will receive 400 mg chewable calcium tablets. The weight, MUAC and TSF will be measured again
      after 8 weeks to determine the change if any. The selection of locality and allocation of
      intervention will be done using simple random sampling and computer generated random numbers.
    

Intervention name(s): Albendazole; Calcium 400 mg + Vitamin D 2.5 mcg
Intervention type(s): Drug; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): Albendazole 400 mg chewable tablets (200 mg each) Two tablets as a single dose recommended as ovicidal, larvicidal and vermicidal against all soil transmitted helminths; 2 chewable tablets provide recommended daily allowance for calcium and vitamin D
Intervention MeSH terms: Vitamin D; Albendazole; Calcium
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: deworming; STH