Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics (Jul 2024)
Prevalence of intestinal helminthiasis in children with chronic neurological disorders in Benin city, Nigeria
Abstract
Background: It is envisaged that the care for the child with chronic neurological disorder (CND) compared wi th his apparently healthy counter-part may be sub-optimal, predisposing him to increase disease morbidities including intestinal helminthiasis. To evaluate this hypothesis, a comparative cross sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence, intensity, and speciespecific prevalence of intestinal helminthiasis in children with CND such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental retardation seen at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City between November 2008 andApril 2009. Subjects and Methods: Fresh stool samples from 155 children with CND and from 155 age and sex matched apparently healthy nursery and primary school children in Benin City, Edo State were analysed using the Kato-Katz technique for the detection of ova of helminths. Results: The prevalence of intestinal helminthiasis in children with CND was 31.0% compared with 19.4% found among the apparently healthy controls (p = 0.03). This prevalence increased with increasing age in both subjects and comparative group. Intensity of infections in both groups was light. Ascaris lumbricoides Trichuris trichiura and Ancylostoma duedenale and were the intestinal helminths isolated in both subjects and control groups. A. lumbricoides alone had the highest specie specific prevalence in both the subjects (20.0%) and comparative groups (15.5%). Mixed infection was found only among the children with CND. Conclusion: Intestinal helminthiasis is common and more prevalent in children with CND than in healthy children. It is recommended that regular deworming be incorporated into the routine care of children with CND. chronic neurological disorders, helminthiasis, intestinal helminths, intensity Ascaris lumbricoides Trichuris
