role of parasitic infestations in iron deficincyanaemia among school age children in Ismailia

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship of parasitic infestations and iron deficiency anemia in school age children [6-12 years] in Ismailia. The study included 63 anemic children and a control group of comparable 20 nonanemic children. All the children were subjected to hematological evaluation, serum iron and iron binding capacity estimation as well as stool analysis. It was found that parasitic infestations are more prevalent in the iron deficiency anemic group [86.2%] and the majority [48.3%] has double parasitic infestations. Giardia lamblia was the most prevalent parasitic infestation [27.71%] among the studied groups and in the iron deficiency anemic group [55.2%]. Entamoeba histolytica infestation showed also a high prevalence rate [18.07%] and was the second common parasite causing iron deficiency anemia [37.9%]. Although Ancylostoma duodenal infestation is the rarest parasite [1.2%], it was shown that it causes the severest form of iron deficiency anemia. Moreover, the study showed that the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was markedly higher in the parasitically infected children [71.4%] than the noninfected children [8.3%]