Abstract
WHO recommends antenatal (after the first trimester) deworming for pregnant women who live in areas where the prevalence of hookworm infection exceeds 20-30%. However, deworming has not been included in antenatal care packages in most developing countries. A review of articles publishing original data identified primarily through Medline was conducted using subject heading terms and text words for "deworming", "pregnant women", "hookworm", "anthelminthic", "anthelmintic", "albendazole", "mebendazole", "pregnancy" and their combinations. Bibliographies of retrieved articles were scanned to identify any additional relevant documents. Five articles examined the benefits of antenatal deworming. All provided evidence favourable to deworming, in terms of both maternal and infant outcomes. Comparison of outcome measures could be improved with a more standardized approach to outcome ascertainment and reporting. The evidence base for the inclusion of deworming in antenatal care packages in hookworm-endemic areas is mostly observational in nature. Future research should be directed towards 1) strengthening the evidence base with empirical data from randomized controlled trials, and 2) furthering our understanding related to government uptake of the WHO policy on deworming.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
