Keywords
health of specific groups
parasitic infections
intestinal protozoa
How to Cite
Abstract
Intestinal parasitic infections are widely distributed throughout the world and children are the
most affected population. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of
parasitic maternal and infant intestinal infection of patients attended at a public health unit in
the municipality of Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais. The centrifugal-sedimentation in formol-ether
was the technica used for stool analysis. Positivity was observed in 41.7% for pregnant women,
37.3% for mothers and 35.7% for children. Endolimax nana (17.1%) and Giardia intestinalis
(17.1%) were the most frequently detected parasites in children under two-years old and pregnant
women (33.3%). For mothers, G. intestinalis (20.3%) was the most prevalent parasite followed
by Entamoeba coli (17%). Simultaneous infection of mother and child was detected in 7 of 25
infected children. Despite health educations actions, improvement in educational level, and
access to medical services, the frequency of endoparasite infections remains high. Literature
is scarce in relation to the present theme and it is believed that infected mothers can contribute
for parasitic infection of their kids, just as children can be a source of infection for their mothers.
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