CGPH FACULTY: Desiree LaBeaud
DATE OF PUBLICATION: May 2015
REGION: Africa
REFERENCE: LaBeaud AD, Nayakwadi Singer M, McKibben M, Mungai P, Muchiri EM, McKibben E, Gildengorin G, Sutherland LJ, King CH, King CL, Malhotra I. Parasitism in Children Aged Three Years and Under: Relationship between Infection and Growth in Rural Coastal Kenya. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015 May 21;9(5):e0003721. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003721. eCollection 2015 May.
SUMMARY/ABSTRACT: Parasitic infections, which are among the most common infections worldwide, disproportionately affect children; however, little is known about the impact of parasitic disease on growth in very early childhood. Our objective was to document the prevalence of parasitic infections and examine their association with growth during the first three years of life among children in coastal Kenya. Our results demonstrate an under-recognized burden of parasitism in the first three years of childhood in rural Kenya. Parasitic infection and polyparasitism were common, and were associated with a range of significant growth impairment in terms of weight, length and/or head circumference.
ACCESS: Link to Pubmed