Anthelminthic treatment and haemoglobin concentrations during pregnancy.

H Torlesse, M Hodges

Journal: Lancet (London, England) 2000;356(9235):1083

PMID: 11009150

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

A longitudinal study was conducted in Sierra Leone to measure the impact of a single dose anthelminthic (400 mg albendazole) and daily iron-folate supplements (36 g iron and 5 mg folate) on haemoglobin (HG) concentration during pregnancy. After controlling for baseline Hb concentration and season, anthelmintic treatment reduced the decline in haemoglobin concentration between the first and third trimesters by 6.6 g/L (p=0.0034) relative to the control. The corresponding value for iron-folate supplements was 13.7 g/L(p<0.0001) [corrected]. These findings indicate that anthelminthic treatment should be included in strategies to control maternal anaemia in Sierra Leone.

DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)02738-0

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MeSH Terms: Adolescent, Adult, Albendazole, Anemia, Anthelmintics, Dietary Supplements, Female, Folic Acid, Helminthiasis, Hemoglobins, Humans, Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic, Iron, Longitudinal Studies, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Sierra Leone, Treatment Outcome