***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Background More than a third of the world 's children are infected with intestinal nematodes . Current control approaches emphasise treatment of school age children , and there is a lack of information on the effects of deworming preschool children . Methodology We studied the effects on the heights and weights of 3,935 children , initially 1 to 5 years of age , of five rounds of anthelmintic treatment ( 400 mg albendazole ) administered every 6 months over 2 years . The children lived in 50 areas , each defined by precise government boundaries as urban slums , in Lucknow , North India . All children were offered vitamin A every 6 months , and children in 25 r and omly assigned slum areas also received 6-monthly albendazole . Treatments were delivered by the State Integrated Child Development Scheme ( ICDS ) , and height and weight were monitored at baseline and every 6 months for 24 months ( trial registration number NCT00396500 ) . p Value calculations are based only on the 50 area-specific mean values , as r and omization was by area . Findings The ICDS infrastructure proved able to deliver the interventions . 95 % ( 3,712/3,912 ) of those alive at the end of the study had received all five interventions and had been measured during all four follow-up surveys , and 99 % ( 3,855/3,912 ) were measured at the last of these surveys . At this final follow up , the albendazole-treated arm exhibited a similar height gain but a 35 ( SE 5 ) % greater weight gain , equivalent to an extra 1 ( SE 0.15 ) kg over 2 years ( 99 % CI 0.6–1.4 kg , p = 10−11 ) . Conclusions In such urban slums in the 1990s , five 6-monthly rounds of single dose anthelmintic treatment of malnourished , poor children initially aged 1–5 years results in substantial weight gain . The ICDS system could provide a sustainable , inexpensive approach to the delivery of anthelmintics or micronutrient supplements to such population s. As , however , we do not know the control parasite burden , these results are difficult to generalize . Trial Registration Clinical Trials.gov Background Helminth infections are proposed to have immunomodulatory activities affecting health outcomes either detrimentally or beneficially . We evaluated the effects of albendazole treatment , every three months for 21 months , on STH , malarial parasitemia and allergy . Methods and Findings A household-based cluster-r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial was conducted in an area in Indonesia endemic for STH . Using computer-aided block r and omization , 481 households ( 2022 subjects ) and 473 households ( 1982 subjects ) were assigned to receive placebo and albendazole , respectively , every three months . The treatment code was concealed from trial investigators and participants . Malarial parasitemia and malaria-like symptoms were assessed in participants older than four years of age while skin prick test ( SPT ) to allergens as well as reported symptoms of allergy in children aged 5–15 years . The general impact of treatment on STH prevalence and body mass index ( BMI ) was evaluated . Primary outcomes were prevalence of malarial parasitemia and SPT to any allergen . Analysis was by intention to treat . At 9 and 21 months post-treatment 80.8 % and 80.1 % of the study subjects were retained , respectively . The intensive treatment regiment result ed in a reduction in the prevalence of STH by 48 % in albendazole and 9 % in placebo group . Albendazole treatment led to a transient increase in malarial parasitemia at 6 months post treatment ( OR 4.16(1.35–12.80 ) ) and no statistically significant increase in SPT reactivity ( OR 1.18(0.74–1.86 ) at 9 months or 1.37 ( 0.93–2.01 ) 21 months ) . No effect of anthelminthic treatment was found on BMI , reported malaria-like- and allergy symptoms . No adverse effects were reported . Conclusions The study indicates that intensive community treatment of 3 monthly albendazole administration for 21 months over two years leads to a reduction in STH . This degree of reduction appears safe without any increased risk of malaria or allergies . Trial Registration Controlled-Trials.com IS RCT Background Tribendimidine is an anthelminthic drug with a broad spectrum of activity . In 2004 the drug was approved by Chinese authorities for human use . The efficacy of tribendimidine against soil-transmitted helminths ( Ascaris lumbricoides , hookworm , and Trichuris trichiura ) has been established , and new laboratory investigations point to activity against cestodes and Strongyloides ratti . Methodology /Principal Findings In an open-label r and omized trial , the safety and efficacy of a single oral dose of albendazole or tribendimidine ( both drugs administered at 200 mg for 5- to 14-year-old children , and 400 mg for individuals ≥15 years ) against soil-transmitted helminths , Strongyloides stercoralis , and Taenia spp . were assessed in a village in Yunnan province , People 's Republic of China . The analysis was on a per- protocol basis and the trial is registered with controlled-trials.com ( number IS RCT N01779485 ) . Both albendazole and tribendimidine were highly efficacious against A. lumbricoides and , moderately , against hookworm . The efficacy against T. trichiura was low . Among 57 individuals who received tribendimidine  , the prevalence of S. stercoralis was reduced from 19.3 % to 8.8 % ( observed cure rate 54.5 % , p = 0.107 ) , and that of Taenia spp . from 26.3 % to 8.8 % ( observed cure rate 66.7 % , p = 0.014 ) . Similar prevalence reductions were noted among the 66 albendazole recipients . Taking into account “ new ” infections discovered at treatment evaluation , which were most likely missed pre-treatment due to the lack of sensitivity of available diagnostic approaches , the difference between the drug-specific net Taenia spp . cure rates was highly significant in favor of tribendimidine ( p = 0.001 ) . No significant adverse events of either drug were observed . Conclusions / Significance Our results suggest that single-dose oral tribendimidine can be employed in setting s with extensive intestinal polyparasitism , and its efficacy against A. lumbricoides and hookworm was confirmed . The promising results obtained with tribendimidine against S. stercoralis and Taenia spp . warrant further investigations . In a next step , multiple-dose schedules should be evaluated Background There is considerable debate on the health impacts of soil-transmitted helminth infections . We assessed effects of deworming on physical fitness and strength of children in an area in Yunnan , People 's Republic of China , where soil-transmitted helminthiasis is highly endemic . Methodology The double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled trial was conducted between October 2011 and May 2012 . Children , aged 9–12 years , were treated with either triple-dose albendazole or placebo , and monitored for 6 months post-treatment . The Kato-Katz and Baermann techniques were used for the diagnosis of soil-transmitted helminth infections . Physical fitness was assessed with a 20-m shuttle run test , where the maximum  aerobic capacity within 1 min of exhaustive exercise ( VO2 max estimate ) and the number of 20-m laps completed were recorded . Physical strength was determined with grip strength and st and ing broad jump tests . Body height and weight , the sum of skinfolds , and hemoglobin levels were recorded as secondary outcomes . Principal Findings Children receiving triple-dose albendazole scored slightly higher in the primary and secondary outcomes than placebo recipients , but the difference lacked statistical significance . Trichuris trichiura-infected children had 1.6 ml kg−1 min−1 ( P = 0.02 ) less increase in their VO2 max estimate and completed 4.6 ( P = 0.04 ) fewer 20-m laps than at baseline compared to non-infected peers . Similar trends were detected in the VO2 max estimate and grip strength of children infected with hookworm and Ascaris lumbricoides , respectively . In addition , the increase in the VO2 max estimate from baseline was consistently higher in children with low-intensity T. trichiura and hookworm infections than in their peers with high-intensity infections of all soil-transmitted helminths ( range : 1.9–2.1 ml kg−1 min−1 ; all P<0.05 ) . Conclusions / Significance We found no strong evidence for significant improvements in physical fitness and anthropometric indicators due to deworming over a 6-month follow-up period . However , the negative effect of T. trichiura infections on physical fitness warrants further investigation The prevalence rate of ascariasis in primary school children in northern Jakarta , Indonesia varies from 60 % to 90 % . An association between helminthic infection and educational achievement has long been recognized . This study was carried out in the northern part of Jakarta among primary school children 6 - 8 years of age .  Treatment of ascariasis and health education were used as the interventions . Before the interventions , basic data on socioeconomic status , epidemiology , infection with Ascaris lumbricoides , nutritional status , and cognitive function were collected . After the interventions , only data on infection with A. lumbricoides , nutritional status , and cognitive function were collected . The children were divided into five groups . Group I was given an anthelminthic ( mebendazole ) , group II was provided with health education , group III was given an antihelminthic and provided with health education , group IV was given a placebo ( controls ) , and group V consisted of egg-negative children , who also served as controls .  Data from 336 students were analyzed by analysis of covariance . Parasitologic examinations showed a mean prevalence rate of 58.4 % for A. lumbricoides infection in the pre-intervention children and a mean prevalence rate of 40.6 % in the post-intervention children . Concerning nutritional status , approximately 80 % of the children showed good scores in the pre- and post-treatment data , and only a small percentage ( 0.9 - 16.2 % ) showed mild or moderate malnutrition . No significant difference was found between the pre- and post-treatment nutritional status . The results of the cognitive test showed that the group treated with mebendazole showed significant improvement in the Colored Progressive Matrices and Coding test . Children also showed an improvement in their learning ability , concentration , and eye-h and coordination after five months of receiving this intervention BACKGROUND The effect of helminth infestation on the nutrition , growth , and physiology of the host is still poorly understood . Anthelmintic treatment of children in developing countries has had varying success in terms of growth improvements . OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the effect of regular deworming on child growth , physiology , and biochemical status . DESIGN The study was a 12-mo longitudinal intervention in 123 Bangladeshi children aged 2 - 5 y. Treatment ( mebendazole ) or placebo tablets were administered every 2 mo for 8 mo and again at 12 mo . Weight , height , midupper arm circumference , intestinal permeability , plasma albumin , alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin , and total protein concentration were assessed every 2 mo . RESULTS Treatment with mebendazole reduced the prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides from 78 % to 8 % , of Trichuris trichiura from 65 % to 9 % , and of hookworm from 4 % to 0 % . There was no significant difference in the growth of treated children compared with those given placebo tablets . No changes in intestinal permeability or plasma albumin were observed after deworming . Significant decreases in total protein ( P<0.001 ) and alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin ( P<0.001 ) were observed in the treatment group , indicating possible reductions in inflammation and immunoglobulin concentration after deworming . A significant increase in the prevalence of Giardia intestinalis ( from 4 % to 49 % ) in the treatment group was associated with a short-term reduction in weight ( P = 0.02 ) and higher intestinal permeability ( P < 0.001 ) in infected subjects . No long-term effects of G. intestinalis on growth were observed . CONCLUSION Low-intensity helminth infections , predominantly of A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura , do not contribute significantly to the poor growth and biochemical status of rural Bangladeshi children We studied growth in infected children given one dose ( 600 mg ) or two doses of albendazole per school year . Children were examined and allocated at r and om within sex by descending hookworm egg count to one of three groups : placebo ( n = 93 ) , one dose ( 1x , n = 96 ) or two doses ( 2x , n = 95 ) . Each child was treated and then re-examined and treated 3.6 and 8.2 mo later ( Exams 2 and 3 ) . The 1x and 2x groups gained significantly more by Exam 3 than the placebo group in weight ( 1.1 and 0.9 kg more 
    Output:
    
Authors ' conclusions Treating children known to have worm infection may have some nutritional benefits for the individual .
However , in mass treatment of all children in endemic areas , there is now substantial evidence that this does not improve average nutritional status , haemoglobin , cognition , school performance , or survival