Review Article
Year: 2023 | Month: July | Volume: 10 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 19-23
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20230704
Malnutrition in Children with Helminthiasis:A Review Article
Husnil Wardiyah1, Rahmani Welan2, Rahma Tsania Zhuhra3
1Department of Parasitology, 2Nutritional Sciences Department, 3Department of Medical Education
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia.
Corresponding Author: Husnil Wardiyah
ABSTRACT
Various factors strongly influence the development and growth of children. One of the factors that influence this is the nutritional status of children. The child’s nutritional status is also influenced by how the child eats and whether there is an infection. One of the conditions that affect illness is helminthiasis. Helminthiasis caused by intestinal parasites, mostly soil-transmitted helminthes, a particular species of worm that requires soil as media for its spreading. These parasitic infections are more common in school-age children due to lack of hygiene awareness, such as not using appropriate footwear, keeping the long and dirty nails, and not washing hands before eating - water, sanitation, and hygiene influence risk factors in developing countries and worm prevalence rates.
The incidence of soil transmitted helminthes is evenly distributed worldwide, mainly among school-age children. These worms can affect the absorption of food, interfere with the number of calories, and cause blood loss. Children who suffer from worms will look thin, tired, weak, easy to get sick, and have decreased in learning concentration, thereby reducing academic performance. This worm infection is chronic, so complaints are initially unknown and felt, most of complaints are realized too late and have far-reaching effects. In general, this worm affects children in almost all parts of the world, affecting nutritional status, anemia, and IQ. Research in Indonesia shows a relationship between the incidence of helminthiasis and nutritional status disorders, such as malnutrition. Helminthiasis affect all digestive pathways, intake, absorption, and metabolism of food.
Keywords: malnutrition, helminthiasis, children.
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