Deworming Helps Cut Child Mortality Rates, Save Mothers - Survey

Deworming during pregnancy reduces the risk of a child dying within the first four weeks after birth by 14% and prevents a mother from developing anaemia, a new study has revealed. The study showed that taking deworming drugs also lowers the chances of a mother giving birth to a child with low birth weight. The survey by Syracuse University, the World Health Organization and SUNY Upstate revealed that deworming reduces child mortality rate. In sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 38 million women of reproductive age (15-49 years), including nearly seven million pregnant women, are infected with hookworm an intestinal parasite. If not treated, the infection can lead to poor pregnancy outcomes, including anaemia, which can potentially lead to preterm birth or low birth weight, writes Angela Oketch for The Nation.

InFocus

Building resistance with deworming tablets (file photo).

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