title: Effect on weight gain of routinely giving albendazole to preschool children during child health days in Uganda: cluster randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the effectiveness of delivering an anthelmintic through a community child health programme on the weight gain of preschool children in Uganda.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cluster randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eastern Uganda.
  
  
  METHODS
  48 parishes participating in a new programme for child health: 24 offered children an additional service of anthelmintic treatment. The outcome is based on measurements from 27,995 children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment of children aged between 1 and 7 years with 400 mg albendazole added to standard services offered during child health days over a three year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Weight gain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The provision of periodic anthelmintic treatment as a part of child health services in Uganda resulted in an increase in weight gain of about 10% (166 g per child per year, 95% confidence interval 16 to 316) above expected weight gain when treatments were given twice a year, and an increase of 5% when the treatment was given annually.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deworming of preschool children in Uganda as part of regularly scheduled health services seems practical and associated with increased weight gain.
authors.affiliation: World Bank, Washington, DC 20433, USA. halderman@worldbank.org
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alderman
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Konde-Lule
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sebuliba
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bundy
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D014454:Uganda; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015766:Albendazole