Abstract
Introduction. Intestinal parasitic infections, especially
due to helminths, increase anemia in pregnant women. The results
of this are low pregnancy weight gain and IUGR, followed by LBW,
with its associated greater risks of infection and higher
perinatal mortality rates. For these reasons, in the setting of no
large previous studies in Venezuela about this problem, a national
multicentric study was conducted. Methods. Pregnant women
from nine states were studied, a prenatal evaluation with a
coproparasitological study. Univariated and multivariated analyses
were made to determine risk factors for intestinal parasitosis
and related anemia. Results. During 19 months, 1038
pregnant women were included and evaluated. Intestinal parasitosis
was evidenced in 73.9%: A lumbricoides 57.0%,
T trichiura 36.0%, G lamblia 14.1%,
E hystolitica 12.0%, N americanus 8.1%,
E vermicularis 6.3%, S stercoralis 3.3%.
Relative risk for anemia in those women with intestinal
parasitosis was 2.56 (