HA NOI — Diarrhoea and enteric infections were two of the main factors that led to stunted growth and lower IQs in children, and proper hygiene could prevent this, said the deputy director of the National Nutrition Institute, Nguyen Thi Lam.
Doctor Ha Vinh from the HCM City Tropical Diseases Hospital said scientific research carried out over 10 years on Brazilian children had shown that during the first two years of a child\'s life, parasitic worms could have such an effect that it was highly possible that by the time they reached the age of seven, they would be 4 to 6 centimetres shorter than their peers.
This combination of parasitic worms and diarrhoea would result in a total growth shortfall of 8.2cm.
She said after removing the intestinal parasites, children would still probably suffer from cognitive decline later in life. \"Helminth infections can decrease IQ scores by 10 points,\" she added.
Doctor Lam explained that when children were affected with helminth infections, they were subject to protein losses via the gastrointestinal tract and a reduction in the ability to absorb nutrients to feed the brain. \"That\'s why the cognitive function is impaired,\" she said.
Widespread cases of hand-foot-mouth disease at the moment with its side effect of acute encephalitis were having a long-lasting impact on child patients. \"What is worth noticing is the cognitive deficit may be permanent,\" Lam warned.
However, parents still didn\'t have the right attitude when it came to dealing with communicable diseases, they only focused on treatment rather than preventive measures, overlooking the fact that even if their kids recover, there may be long term effects.
\"Unlike other illnesses such as fevers and coughs which result in weight loss, diarrhoea, enteric infections and hand-foot-mouth disease may lead to irreversible damages,\" Vinh said.
Ngu Duy Nghia from the National Institute of Hygiene Epidemiology said keeping our hands clean was of crucial importance to combating disease, and it is actually not that difficult to do.— VNS
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