Table 1

Table 2

Table 3
 

(Posted as supplied by authors)

Table 1 Studies reporting growth outcomes
 

StudyDrug (S=single dose; M=multiple dose)
Follow up (maximum time)
Age (years)
No randomised
 
Prevalence of infection (%)
 
Outcomes measured (M)

and reported (R)†

Loss to follow up (%)
Country
    
Treatment
Controtl*
 
Ascaris
Trichuris
Hookworm
 
Weight (M) (R)
Height (M) (R)
MUAC (M) (R)
Skinfolds (M) (R)
  
Adams et al 199415Albendazole (S)
7-9 weeks
5-10
28
28
 
29
84
93
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
<10
Kenya
Awasthi 199516Albendazole + vitamin A (M)
2.5 years
<5
25 slums; 1996 children
25 slums‡; 2003 children
 
NA
NA
NA
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
<15
India
Awasthi 199717Albendazole (M)
2 years
1.5-3.5
610
451
 
NA
NA
NA
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
<10
India
Beach 199918Albendazole (S)
4 months
5-11
244
229
 
29
42
7
 
Y
P
Y
P
N
N
N
N
15
Haiti
 Ivermectin (S)  
240
                
 Combined (S)  
245
                
Donnen 199820Mebendazole (M)
1 year
1-4
123
117§
 
11
NA
NA
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
34
Zaire
 Vitamin A (M)  
118
                
Evans 198621Pyrantel (M)
1 year
2-5
207
260
 
80
47
37
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
>40
Bangladesh
Fernando 198322Piperazine (M)
6 years
2-10
271
246
 
78
NA
40
 
Y
P
Y
P
Y
P
N
N
NA
Sri Lanka
Freij 1979 (1)23Piperazine (S)
28 days
1.5-5
6
7
 
NA
NA
NA
 
Y
Y
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
0
Ethiopia
Freij 1979 (2) 23Piperazine (S)
34 days
1-4
24
20
 
49
NA
NA
 
Y
P
N
N
Y
Y
N
N
NA
Ethiopia
Greenberg 198113Piperazine (S)
11 months
1.5-8
92
92
 
80
65
5
 
Y
P
Y
P
Y
N
Y
N
18
Bangladesh
Gupta 198224Piperazine (S)
1 year
2-5
30
39
 
60
NA
NA
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
0
Guatemala
 Metronidazole (S)  
40
                
 Combined (S)  
41
                
Hadju 199626Pyrantel (S)
1 year
6-10
36
36
 
88
100
NA
 
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
NA
Indonesia
Hadju 199727Pyrantel (S)
1 year
<11
60
74
 
93
99
NA
 
Y
P
Y
P
Y
P
N
N
35
Indonesia
 Pyrantel (M)  
61
                
 Albendazole (S)  
66
                
 Albendazole (M)  
69
                
Kloetzel 198228Mebendazole (S)
10 months
1-8
165
172
 
59
22
9
 
Y
N
N
N
Y
N
N
N
NA
Brazil
Korma 199629Albendazole (S)
6 months
6-10
149
50
 
40
34
18
 
Y
P
Y
P
N
N
N
N
6
Sierra Leone
Kruger 199630Albendazole (M)
11 months
6-8
87¶
91
 
20
38
NA
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
28
South Africa
Lai 199514Mebendazole + Pyrantel (M)
2 years
8
186
167
 
66
NA
NA
 
Y
P
Y
P
N
N
N
N
13
Malaysia
Michaelsen 198532Tetrachloroethyline (S)
5 months
5-14
114
114
 
NA
NA
86
 
Y
P
Y
P
N
N
N
N
14
Botswana
Rousham 199435Mebendazole (M)
18 months
2-6
6 villages; 688 children
7 villages; 714 children
 
71
44
10
 
Y
P
Y
P
Y
P
N
N
5
Bangladesh
Stephenson 198939 40Albendazole (S)
6 months
6-16
78
72
 
49
97
87
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
17
Kenya
Stephenson 199341 42Albendazole (S)
8 months
6-14
96
93
 
31
88
87
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
19
Kenya
 Albendazole (M)  
95
                
tStoltzfus 199743 44Mebendazole (M) twice/year
1 year
Mean age =10
4 schools; 1170 children
4 schools§; 1260 children
 
66
95
95
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
15
Zanzibar
 Mebendazole (M)three times/year  
4 schools; 1175 children
                
Thein 199145Levamisole (M)
2 years
2-12
8 villages; 595 children
13 villages; 611 children
 
90
6
1
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
66
Myanmar
Watkins 199646 47Albendazole (M)
6 months
1-6
116
112
 
91
82
NA
 
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
11
Guatemala
Willett 197948Levamisole (M)
1 year
.5-7.5
166
175
 
53
NA
NA
 
Y
N
Y
N
N
N
N
N
25
Tanzania

NA = Data not available or could not be calculated.

*Control group received placebo treatment except were indicated.

†Y = Yes, N = No, and P = Partial data presented (usually presented as a ratio--for example, weight for age).

‡Control group received vitamin A.

§Control group given nothing.

¶Treatment and control groups divided in two and randomly given non-fortified or fortified soup. Groups combined for analysis.


 

Table 2 Studies reporting cognition outcomes
 

StudyDrug (S=single dose ; M=multiple dose)
Follow up (maximum time)
Age (years)
No randomised
 
Prevalence of infection (%)
Outcomes
Quality

loss to follow up %

Country
    
Treatment
Control*
 
Ascaris
Trichuris
Hookworm
   
Boivin 199318Levamisole (S)
4 weeks
1st year primary school
7
15
 
NA
NA
NA
Mental processing portions of the Kaufman assessment battery for children (K-ABC)

Growth measurements: weight, height, and MUAC†

25%
Zaire
 Iron (S)  
7
        
 Levamisole with Iron (S)  
17
        
Hadidjaja 199824Mebendazole (S)
5 months
6-8
3 schools
2 schools
 
58
NA
NA
Tests from Wechsler intelligence scale for children including: arithmetic, digit span forward and backward, and coding

Growth measurements: weight and height†

31%
Indonesia
 Health education  
405 children
391 children
       
 Mebendazole (S) + health education           
Kvalsvig 199130Mebendazole (S)
1 month
Primary school age
50
50
 
30
47.2
5.2
Educational attainment, card sorting task, and cancellation task

Growth measurements: weight and height†

N/A
South Africa
Nokes 199232 33Albendazole (S)
9 weeks
9-12‡
62
41
 
58
100
15
Tests from Wechsler intelligence scale for children including: arithmetic, digit span forward and backward and coding

Growth measurements: weight and height†

0
Jamaica
Simeon 1995 35-37Albendazole (M)
26 weeks
6-12‡
206
201
 
46
100
NA
School achievement, school attendance

Spelling, arithmetic

Analysis of sub-sample included French learning, digit span fForward and cackward and Corsi bloc span

Growth measurements: weight and height†

0
Jamaica
Watkins 199645 46Albendazole (M)
6 months
7-12
116
112
 
91
82
NA
Inter-American reading test, Peabody picture vocabulary test (at end only)

Attendance

Growth measurements: weight, height, and MUAC§

11%
Guatemala

NA = Data not available or could not be calculated.

*Control groups all received placebo treatment.

†Growth measurements taken but not all reported and not available for use in analysis.

‡All children infected with trichuris.

§Growth measurements taken, reported, and included in growth analysis.

 

Table 3 Studies giving anthelminth drugs to children compared with no specific anthelminth treatment: growth outcomes, as reported after a single dose and multiple doses
 

Outcomes
#Trials
#Treated
#Controls
WMD (95% CI)

Fixed effects model

WMD (95% CI)

Random effects model*

Single dose (outcomes <1 year)
Weight:
Mean†15 19 22 25 38-41 45
8
1046
824
0.05 kg ( 0.27 to 0.18)
 
Mean change†15 19 29 38-41 45
7
1109
898
0.17 kg ( 0.10 to 0.25)
0.38 ( 0.01 to 0.77)
Height:
Mean†15 19 38-41 45
6
1006
788
0.09 cm ( 0.71 to 0.88)
 
Mean change†15 19 29 38-41 45
7
1109
899
0.14cm ( 0.04 to 0.23)
0.09 ( 0.13 to 0.31)
MUAC:
Mean15 19 22 38-41 45
7
444
420
0.08 mm ( 0.11 to 0.27)
 
Mean change15 19 38-41 45
5
420
403
0.28 mm ( 0.21 to 0.35)
0.23 ( 0.03 to 0.48)
Triceps skinfold:
Mean15 22 38-41
4
208
199
0.76 mm ( 0.32 to 1.19)
0.67 ( 0.39 to 1.72)
Mean change15 38-41
3
202
192
1.30 mm ( 1.15 to 1.45)
1.27 ( 0.74 to 1.80)
Subscapular skinfold:
Mean15 38-41
3
202
192
0.65 mm ( 0.35 to 0.94)
0.73 ( 0.02 to 1.44)
Mean change15 38-41
3
202
192
1.23 mm ( 1.08 to 1.37)
1.18 ( 0.90 to 1.46)
Multiple dose trials (outcomes < year)
Weight:
Mean†19 40 41 45
4
899
703
0.11 kg ( 0.33 to 0.12)
 
Mean change†19 23 29 40-43 45
7
3103
3004
0.10 kg ( 0.04 to 0.17)
0.15 ( 0.0 to 0.30)
Height:
Mean†19 40 41 45
4
899
704
0.32 cm ( 1.16 to 0.52)
 
Mean change†19 23 29 40-43 45
7
3103
3005
0.07 cm ( 0.01 to 0.15)
0.06 ( 0.07 to 0.19)
MUAC:
Mean19 40 41 45
3
297
284
0.04 mm ( 0.21 to 0.28)
 
Mean change19 40 41 45
3
301
292
0.20 mm ( 0.11 to 0.29)
0.07 ( 0.28 to 0.42)
Triceps skinfold:
Mean40 41
1
95
93
1.90 mm ( 1.03 to 2.77)
 
Mean change40 41
1
95
93
1.80 mm ( 1.52 to 2.08)
 
Subscapular skinfold:
Mean40 41
1
95
93
1.70 mm ( 1.09 to 2.31)
 
Mean change40 41
1
95
93
1.50 mm ( 1.23 to 1.77)
 
Multiple dose (outcomes >1 year)
Weight:
Mean†
1
631
413
0.02 kg ( 0.26 to 0.22)
 
Mean change†16
2
2634‡
2404‡
0.12 kg ( 0.02 to 0.26)
0.43 ( 0.61 to 1.47)
Height:
Mean†
1
631
413
0.16 cm ( 1.16 to 0.84)
 
Mean change†16
2
2634‡
2404‡
0.22 cm ( 0.84 to 0.41)
 

*Random effects quoted when P<0.1 for test of homogeneity.

†S Awasthi, unpublished dta, 1997.

‡Largest trial cluster randomised--total number of children 5038.