Haemoglobin concentration, eosinophilia and intestinal helminths in children in rural Jamaica

Abstract

Investigations on haemoglobin and haematocrit values, eosinophils and faecal helminth eggs in rural Jamaican infants and children are summarized. Haemoglobin levels rose from 10·6 g.% at about the fifth month of life to 10·9 g.% at one year and thereafter climbed slowly to 12·2 g.% at 6 years and remained at this level to 15 years. Values for haematocrit and MCHC behaved similarly. The mean haemoglobin levels were about 1·0 g.% below optimal values but about 2·0 g.% above those reported from Gambia. Severe anaemia was rare but minor degrees of iron deficiency and, in the first year of life, of folic acid deficiency, may be common. 2 cases of sickle-cell anaemia and one of thalassaemia major were seen. Neither malaria, which has been eradicated, nor hookworm is now an important cause of anaemia in Jamaica. Helminth eggs in stools were not common in the first and second years but were present in 60% of children in the third and fourth years. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most prevalent, giving rise to the heaviest concentration of eggs, followed by Trichuris trichiura. A few hookworm eggs were found in about 10% of children over 2 years. In one study involving 160 children aged about 3 years, no relationship was found between helminth eggs and haemoglobin levels, heights, weights or symptoms which might be related to infection. Helminthiasis, although extremely common, does not appear to be a major cause of ill-health or of failure to thrive among Jamaican children. Eosinophils were numerous in the latter half of the second year of life and by 5 years, on average, comprised 13·5% of all white cells. Although an aetiology other than intestinal helminthiasis is not obvious, a correlation between eosinophils and faecal helminth eggs could not be demonstrated. Some children may have been infected with Toxocara canis.