Does Deworming Improve Growth and School Performance in Children?

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
1 January 2009
Document Type:
Discussion Paper
Theme:
Health
First published:
1 January 2009
Authors:
Garner, P., Taylor-Robinson, D. and Jones, A.

Abstract

In 2000, reliable evidence from relevant controlled trials about the effects of anthelminth drugs for soil-transmitted helminth infection on child growth and cognition was reviewed and the review was published in The Cochrane Database (Dickson R, Awasthi S, Williamson P, Demellweek C, Garner P (2000) . Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2000, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000371.). It demonstrated uncertainty around the assumed benefit and concluded that it may be a potentially important intervention, but needed better evaluation.

This viewpoint article discusses the review, the criticisms it received in letters to the BMJ, and the recent update of the original Cochrane review (Taylor-Robinson D, Jones A, Garner P (2007) Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD000371.).

Commentaries on the updated review are also available:

  • Engels D, Savioli L (2009) . PLoS Negl Trop Dis 3(1): e359.
  • Bundy DAP, Kremer M, Bleakley H, Jukes MCH, Miguel E (2009) PLoS Negl Trop Dis 3(1): e362.

Citation

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2009) 3(1) e358 [doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000358]

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2009
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