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DEALING WITH IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA & WORM INFESTATION The 2 big health challenges among school-going children in India

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THE DOCTOR SPEAKS

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HEALTHY CHILD, SMART CHILD

A

child who is not in good health cannot perform optimally in school. That is why detecting and treating the medical causes of school underperformance becomes important.

Iron Deficiency Anaemia is the most common nutritional disorder affecting school-going children and there are millions of children who suffer silently from this condition. Another problem - Worm Infestation is the most prevalent infection among school-going children and is just as insidious & harmful.

Dr. Madhu Purushothaman MBBS, AMERICAN BOARD OF PEDIATRICS, FAAP (USA) Consultant Pediatrician - Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai Formerly Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at University of Pittsburgh & Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School, USA

The common thread between these two conditions is that they are easily treatable. But, yet the number of children whose academic performance is becoming seriously impaired because of Anaemia and Worm Infestation is truly staggering.

As a parent, being armed with health information can mean a lot to you. It will help you make better health decisions for your child and be proactive in seeking medical help. The ensuing pages provide information about these two most common conditions in schoolaged children. Use this information to do what is best for your child. And remember healthy children will be smart children !

Dr Madhu Purushothaman

© All rights reserved. No part of this publication shall be reproduced or stored in any form whatsoever

without the written permission from the publisher’s. Shri Harini Media Ltd.

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IRON DEFICIENCY

ANAEMIA What is Iron Deficiency Anaemia?

Oxygen from the lungs is carried to different parts of the body by blood. The part of the red blood cell which performs this function is called Hemoglobin. To make adequate amounts of Hemoglobin, the body needs sufficient quantities of Iron. If your body does not have enough Iron, then the required amount of Hemoglobin cannot be made. The result is Iron Deficiency Anaemia.

Why are children more commonly affected by Iron Deficiency Anaemia ?

Children are going through a period of rapid growth and their body’s requirement of iron relative to their size is high. Also, children may be at risk for nutritional deficiencies due to poor eating habits.

IRON DEFICIENCY IS THE MOST

COMMON

NUTRITIONAL

DISORDER

AMONG

CHILDREN

IN THE WORLD.

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IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA

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is your child anaemic?

Most children with mild-moderate Iron Deficiency Anaemia are asymptomatic (that is, they do not show any symptoms). However, children with severe Iron Deficiency Anaemia can have any of the following symptoms

Feel weak and tired

Look pale

Feel dizzy

Have poor apetite

Craving for paper, ice or dirt

Have headaches

Have poor growth

Soreness of tongue

Have poor concentration

Have learning difficulties

Have short attention span

Be fussy & irritable 4 Parent Circle Special Edition

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HOW DOES ONE DEVELOP IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA? Worm and Parasitic Infestations which cause blood loss Cannot absorb enough iron from the diet due to some medical conditions (like Celiac Disease)

Loss of iron from the body through bleeding (Menstrual Bleeding or Gastrointestinal Bleeding) The body's requirement of iron for hemoglobin production far exceeds the supply of iron in the daily diet Has too little iron in the diet

Diagnosis

A simple finger-prick blood test can check your child’s hemoglobin level. Although, there are many other causes of Anaemia (or low hemoglobin) such as Anaemia due to Vitamin B 12 or Folic Acid Deficiency (Megaloblastic Anaemia), Anaemia due to Iron Deficiency is the most common type of Anaemia. If your child’s hemoglobin does not improve with the treatment, then the doctor may order more elaborate tests to look for other rarer causes of Anaemia.

Treatment

Iron deficiency Anaemia can be treated by taking Iron supplements.

Although, this treatment may run into several weeks, you will start noticing improvement in your child’s symptoms in the first few days itself. But, it is important to continue the treatment for several weeks after the hemoglobin normalizes to help build your body’s stores of iron.

Taking iron pills

The best time of day to take the iron pills is between meals. Do not take iron supplements with milk, caffeine, high-fiber foods or antacids as these can interfere with iron absorption. Taking iron supplements with Vitamin C or Orange juice can be beneficial as it improves the absorption.

ANAEMIA IN INDIA

70

%

of children under 5

56

%

of adolescent girls

30

%

of adolescent boys

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IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA

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HOW TO PREVENT IRON-DEFICIENCY

ANAEMIA?

Ensure your child eats foods that are rich in Iron

BEANS, LENTILS, CHICK PEAS, SOY BEANS

RED MEAT

RED MEAT

POTATOES

EGG YOLK BROWN RICE

DRIED FRUIT (PRUNES, RAISINS)

ALMONDS, WALNUTS

GREEN, LEAFY VEGETABLES

CHICKEN, MUTTON OR BEEF LIVER

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PUMPKIN SEEDS

DARK CHOCOLATE

WHOLE GRAINS (WHEAT, OATS, BARLEY)

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WORM

INFESTATION IN CHILDREN

What is worm infestation?

There are many worms that can enter the human body by mouth or through the skin. Worms are parasites that use up the nutrients meant for the human body.

How common is worm infestation?

Worm infestation affects nearly a billion people worldwide.

Although, any age group can be affected, it is found most commonly in school-age children. Worm infestation is more common in developing countries due to poor hygiene and sanitation.

INDIA IS A HIGHENDEMIC ZONE FOR WORM

INFESTATION. (Source: WHO)

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WORM INFESTATION

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reduced attention span

impaired cognition

malnutrition

poor school performance

Worm infestation in children can lead to

Anaemia

decreased concentration

vitamin A deficiency iron deficiency Anaemia

What are the different kinds of worm infestation in children?

There are different kinds of worms that infest human beings. The most common worm infestation in the world is Hookworm infestation, affecting nearly 600 million people worldwide. Besides this, humans can be infested with Round Worms, Whip Worms, Pin Worms or Tape Worms.

HOOKWORM

ROUNDWORM

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WHIPWORM

PINWORM

TAPEWORM

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How do worms spread from one child to another?

2

1

THROUGH TOUCH

3

PLAYING IN THE SAND OR WALKING BAREFOOT

BY SHARING TOYS, STATIONERY & OTHER OBJECTS

4

EATING CONTAMINATED FOOD, WATER, RAW FRUITS, VEGETABLES, UNDERCOOKED MEAT

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WORM INFESTATION

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How is worm infestation treated?

The deworming medicine that is widely recommended by most health agencies is ALBENDAZOLE.

A STOOL SAMPLE IS THE BEST WAY TO DIAGNOSE WORM INFESTATION

AGE 1 - 2 years

DOSAGE 200 mg

(Most Albendazole Syrups contain 400 mg in 10 ml. So, you would need to administer 5 ml for a child who is 1 – 2 years old)

2 years & above

400 mg

(Children 2 years and above can either receive 10 ml of the 400 mg /10 ml syrup or 400 mg tablet. Some brands of Albendazole come as chewable tablets)

Adults

400 mg

CHILDREN CAN RECEIVE DEWORMING MEDICINES FROM 1 YEAR OF AGE ONWARDS.

Deworming a child at home will eradicate the worms in that child. But, when the child goes to school and comes into contact with other children with worm infestation, he or she picks up the infection again.

That is why, school-based deworming (where all children in a school are dewormed at the same time) is effective as it eliminates the infection pool and ensures that there is no cross-infection among children in that school.

Though children are at the highest risk, deworming medicines are prescribed to the entire family, as infected adults in the family can pass on the infection to children.

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70

%

OF SCHOOLGOING CHILDREN (IN SOME PARTS OF INDIA) ARE INFESTED WITH WORMS! (Source: WHO)

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