Burden of intestinal parasitosis and its association with anaemia among children in Rural Gujarat

Introduction: About 3.5 billion people worldwide are affected by intestinal parasitic infections. These infections are more prevalent in low-resource countries due to inadequate sanitation and high population densities. Children are more vulnerable to parasitic infections because of their weak immune systems. Persistent parasitic infections can cause serious health problems such as malabsorption, Vitamin A deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, and growth delays. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 39.8% of children aged 6 to 59 months worldwide suffer from anemia, which affects approximately 269 million children. Objective of the Study: The study aims to determine the prevalence of anaemia among paediatric patients under 12 years old and to identify the occurrence of intestinal parasitic infections in anaemic children. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted over 2 years at a rural-based tertiary care hospital. All paediatric patients aged 1 month to 12 years with signs, and symptoms of Anaemia were included in the study. Result: The prevalence rate of anemia in our study was 41.6%. Severe anemia was observed in 38% of cases (n = 76), moderate anemia was the most prevalent, comprising 47% of cases (n = 94), and mild anemia accounted for 15% (n = 30). Among 200 anaemic children, parasitic infection was present in 92 children (46%). Of the 92 infected children, Entamoeba histolytica was the most commonly detected parasite, infecting 26 children (28.2%). Conclusion: The current study highlights a significant prevalence of anaemia and intestinal parasitic infections among the paediatric population.