Dr Cynthia Dacanay. — Photo courtesy of Family
Medical Practice Hanoi
Expatriates
moving to Hà Nội are often armed with basic knowledge of the city’s water,
sanitation and common health problems. We are also fully aware that human
parasites exist in this part of Southeast Asia.
Việt Nam
is among the Asian countries with the highest rate of worm infections,
according to the World Health Organization. Seventy-five percent of the
Vietnamese population, including children 2 to 12 years old, was infected with
worms in 2010.
Yet
expats still engage in activities that make contracting parasites highly
probable.
Trying a
new restaurant, eating bún chả and nem cua on the street, drinking a night cap
in a bia hơi, swimming in public pools, walking barefoot on the lawn, playing
in a sandbox, wading in floodwater, getting licked by a pet, dipping our feet
into a tub for a mát-xa (massage), planting rice during a field trip, eating
undercooked meat and vegetables, drinking untreated drinking water and
neglecting to wash our hands greatly increase our chances of getting hookworms,
roundworms, ascaris and pinworms.
Such worms
are transmitted via soil or water. For example, Ascaris, which can grow in the
human brain, liver and other internal organs, is more common in urban areas.
Habitual eating out in cities exposes people to foods contaminated by dust and
insects, as well as to raw vegetables that may not be washed properly and which
may carry worm eggs.
And while
intestinal infection often causes digestive disorders resulting in weight loss
and anemia, worms penetrating one’s bile duct, muscles, liver or brain can be
fatal.
Meanwhile,
Vietnamese parents focus a lot on feeding their children, fretting when they
think the little ones have not eaten enough, rejoicing when they see a full
meal taken. But most of these same parents shake their heads when asked if they
ever dewormed their children.
Worm
infestation in children can cause severe health problems, including anemia,
vitamin A deficiency and intestinal obstruction. School performance may also be
adversely affected. Studies show that regular deworming reverses malnutrition,
increases school attendance and facilitates learning.
Checking
to see if children are nurturing dangerous parasitic creatures, like
round-worms, is a task that often slips parents’ minds. They do not think it is
important.
Failing
to check for parasites exposes children to risk of infections that can leave
them too thin and cause severe complications, such as when roundworms cross the
stomach to penetrate other organs like the liver, lungs or brain. Children are
more vulnerable to worm infections. They can be exposed to parasites via food
and also while crawling on the floor and playing with toys and pets.
So common
myths - such as: “ It is not a problem in this day and age” or “Don’t bother to
deworm unless you show symptoms” - need to be debunked.
The
relevant question to ask is: “ How often should we deworm?”
Once
every six months is sufficient. If symptoms are noted, consult your physician
for a routine stool screening. Otherwise, deworm your whole family twice a
year. Children can be dewormed from two years of age on.
Mebendazole
or Albendazole (chewable) tablet is the drug of choice. Its side effects are
rare, it helps the body to eliminate worms, and it is safe for pregnant women
and unborn babies after the first trimester of pregnancy.
So, to
all Hanoians - newcomers and old-timers alike - pop that deworming pill!
Global
Facts:
Worms can
divert 1/3 of the food a child consumes
1.5
billion people in the world have roundworms
1 billion
people in the world have whipworms
1.3
billion people carry hookworms in their gut
Sources:
UNICEF, WSSCC and mtherald.com
*Fugacar
is the brand name of the deworming pill available over-the-counter at Family
Medical Practice Hanoi.
*Dr
Cynthia Dacanay is a pediatrician at Family Medical Practice Hanoi. For more
information or medical advice, please contact:
hanoi@vietnammedicalpractice.com.
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