Anthelminthic treatment and haemoglobin concentrations during pregnancy

Abstract

A longitudinal study was conducted in Sierra Leone to measure the impact of a single dose anthelminthic (400 mg albendazole) and daily iron-folate supplements (36 g iron and 5 mg folate) on haemoglobin (HG) concentration during pregnancy. After controlling for baseline Hb concentration and season, anthelmintic treatment reduced the decline in haemoglobin concentration between the first and third trimesters by 6.6 g/L (p=0.0034) relative to the control. The corresponding value for iron-folate supplements was 13.7 g/L(p<0.0001) [corrected]. These findings indicate that anthelminthic treatment should be included in strategies to control maternal anaemia in Sierra Leone.