Does vitamin A supplementation protect schoolchildren from acquiring soil-transmitted helminthiasis? A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Parasites and Vectors
• Main Author: Al-Mekhlafi H.M.; Anuar T.S.; Al-Zabedi E.M.; Al-Maktari M.T.; Mahdy M.A.; Ahmed A.; Sallam A.A.; Abdullah W.A.; Moktar N.; Surin J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BioMed Central Ltd. 2014
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84908301112&doi=10.1186%2f1756-3305-7-367&partnerID=40&md5=9a8b2031821e398031b593e477021ffb

Background: Despite the intensive global efforts to control intestinal parasitic infections, the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections is still very high in many developing countries particularly among children in rural areas.; Methods. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 250 Aboriginal schoolchildren in Malaysia to investigate the effects of a single high-dose of vitamin A supplementation (200 000 IU) on STH reinfection. The effect of the supplement was assessed at 3 and 6 months after receiving interventions; after a complete 3-day deworming course of 400 mg/daily of albendazole tablets.; Results: Almost all children (98.6%) were infected with at least one STH species. The overall prevalence of ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection was 67.8%, 95.5% and 13.4%, respectively. Reinfection rates of Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworm were high; at 6 months, assessment reached 80% of the prevalence reported before treatment. There were no significant differences in the reinfection rates and intensities of STH between vitamin A supplemented-children and those who received placebo at 3 and 6 months (p > 0.05).; Conclusions: Vitamin A supplementation showed no protective effect against STH reinfection and this could be due to the high endemicity of STH in this community. Long-term interventions to reduce poverty will help significantly in reducing this continuing problem and there is no doubt that reducing intestinal parasitic infection would have a positive impact on the health, nutrition and education of these children. Trial registration. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00936091. © 2014Al-Mekhlafi et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.