title: Risk Factors and Relationship Between Intestinal Parasites and the Growth Retardation and Psychomotor Development Delays of Children in Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors for and relationship among parasitic infections, growth retardation, and psychomotor developmental delays in children aged 6 years and below.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study was performed in Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey between October and December 2007. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, anthropometry, Ankara Development Screening Inventory, and laboratory analysis of stool specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common parasite was Giardia intestinalis (42.53%) followed by Enterobius vermicularis (27.58%), Ascaris lumbricoides (18.39%), Hymenolepis nana (5.75%), Trichuris trichiura (3.45%), Escherichia coli (1.15%), and Blastocystis spp. (1.15%). Fifty-eight percent of all children were infected with intestinal parasites; 55.2% had only one parasite, whereas 44.8% had multiple parasites. The children infected with G. intestinalis and other intestinal parasites had significantly higher levels of growth retardation and psychomotor development delay than non-infected children. Children with parasitic infections had growth delay up to 2.9 times, general development delay up to 1.9 times, language-cognitive development delay up to 2.2 times, and fine motor development delay up to 2.9 times higher than children without any parasitic infections. However, no significant relationship among intestinal parasites, gross motor development, social-self skills, and development delay was identified. The education level of parents, poor economic situation, number of households, not washing hands, playing with soil, family history of parasitic infection were the significant risk factors for intestinal parasites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study indicates that the presence of either malnutrition or intestinal parasites may put a child in a high-risk group for developmental delays and growth retardation. Therefore, public health interventions can embrace nationwide deworming in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Harran University Vocational School of Health Services, Şanlıurfa, Turkey. fadilezeyrek@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Nebiye
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yentur Doni
authors.forename: Fadile
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yildiz Zeyrek
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.forename: Gulcan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gurses
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Sahin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017164:Ascaris lumbricoides / Q000502:physiology; D016844:Blastocystis / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004757:Enterobius / Q000502:physiology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000502:physiology; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D048189:Hymenolepis nana / Q000502:physiology; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D012987:Soil / Q000469:parasitology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D012987:Soil