Albendazole Dose for Children: What You Need to Know

Posted On June 19, 2024June 20, 2024

Introduction

Do you know the right albendazole dose for children? We generally use this medicine but don’t know the exact dose. Today, we will discuss the proper albendazole dose for children in different worm infestations.

Albendazole is an anthelmintics drug that kills or expels the worms from your intestine. 

You will be shocked to know that 64% of children were at risk from STH (Soil-Transmitted Helminths) in 2012. 

Worm infestation can spread to anyone, but it is more prevalent in children who live in a soil area or live in an unclean environment, eat without washing their hands, and play with pets like cats or dogs. 

Generally, all worms are known as parasitic worms. In medical terms, they are known as helminths. If you get a worm infection, it would say Helminthiasis.

Although Helminthiasis is rarely deadly, it frequently makes your health ill, especially in children. 

This article aims to provide an accurate albendazole dose for children in India.  

We will discuss how to take albendazole for deworming in kids like infants (1-2 years), toddlers/preschool (2-3 years), and school-aged children (more than 3 years).

Let’s know about this medicine.

What is National Deworming Day (NDD)? What medicine is given to children on NDD?

In India, soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are a significant threat to public health. An estimated 22 crore Indian children ages 1-14 are potentially at risk for worm infections.

The presence of worms in children can lead to anaemia, malnutrition, and impaired mental and physical development.

To address this problem, in 2015 Government of India launched a fixed date on 10th February every year for deworming for all children aged 1-19 years.

This date is considered National Deworming Day.

National Deworming Day is a public health initiative, which was aimed at reducing the burden of parasitic worm infections among children.

During this day, albendazole medicine is administered to children at school sites, Anganwadi centers, and many health centers to prevent the spread of parasitic worms.

What class of drug is albendazole?

Albendazole is a prescription medication used to treat infections caused by a type of worm called a helminth. 

This drug belongs to a group of medicines called anthelmintics. It is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic of the benzimidazole class that is designed to treat all worms.

What are the uses of albendazole? 

Since albendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic, therefore it is an effective drug in various intestinal worms and systemic (or tissue) worm parasites. 

Intestinal helminths 

Certain parasitic worms may enter your body due to a poor hygienic environment. These parasitic worms live in your intestine. They grow gradually by absorbing nutrients and glucose from your body. As a result, these worms start multiplying themselves by producing eggs.

Here, Albendazole drug is used in the treatment of the following diseases – 

• Roundworm disease (Ascariasis & Strongyloidiasis) – Roundworm grows in the small intestine. It may penetrate the blood and infect your lungs. This type of worm can be fatal in immunosuppressed patients.

• Hookworm disease (ancylostomiasis and necatoriasis) – Hookworm lives in the small intestine of an infected person. It causes anemia via intestinal blood loss.
• Pinworm or threadworm disease (Enterobiasis) – white worms can be seen in the stool.
• Whipworm disease (Trichuriasis) – generally lives in the large intestine. 

Hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm are known as soil-transmitted helminths. 

Pinworm or threadworm is the most common parasite that causes infestation in kids.

Systemic helminths 

Worm infestation can be fatal if worms migrate into your blood and tissues. It can penetrate your tissue or blood via the intestine, skin, and respiration. 

Fortunately, albendazole is a highly effective drug, even in systemic helminths.

Albendazole can be used in certain diseases like – 

• Filariasis – Worms cause blockage of your lymph flow. Due to this, your arms, legs, and scrotum may get filled with fluid. 
• Trichinosis – Consumption of insufficiently cooked meat, especially pork, usually leads to this condition.
• Cystic hydatid infection (Echinococcosis) – Caused by larvae of Dog tapeworm. It mainly affects your liver, lungs, and brain.
• Neurocysticercosis – Caused by larvae of the pork tapeworm. It mainly affects your brain and spinal cord area. 

How do you know if you have worms in your stomach?

You may have experienced the following symptoms of worms in the stomach or intestine – 

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea or vomiting 
• Diarrhea
• Small and white worms in stool
• Severe itching around your anus, especially at night
• Loss of weight 
• Loss of appetite
• Blood in stool
• Fatigue

Sometimes, your child may do teeth grinding. During this condition, your child may also have an abnormal craving for eating inedible foods like chalk, clay, paper, ashes, etc. This eating disorder is called Pica. 

How can we use albendazole tablets or syrup in different parasitic infections?

Although albendazole 400 mg is considered the standard dose for children above 2 years in most worm infections like – 

• Hookworm disease (ancylostomiasis and necatoriasis)
• Roundworm infection (ascariasis)
• Whipworm infection (trichuriasis)
• Threadworm infection (strongyloidiasis) 
• Pinworm infection (enterobiasis) 
• Giardia infection (giardiasis in children)

However, the albendazole dose may vary in worm infections like Cystic hydatid disease and Neurocysticercosis. 

Larvae of dog tapeworm generally cause a cystic hydatid infection. It mainly affects your liver, lungs, and stomach.

Whereas larvae of the pork tapeworm cause neurocysticercosis infection. It mainly affects your brain and spinal cord area. 

Here, albendazole is considered a drug of choice in Cystic hydatid disease and Neurocysticercosis. 

The dosing of albendazole in these conditions is entirely different.

If you have cystic hydatid disease, you need to take albendazole 400 mg twice for 28 days in 3 cycles of treatment, followed by a 14-day washout period. 

The dose will be calculated for children as 15 mg/kg per body weight.

In Neurocysticercosis, albendazole 400 mg twice daily with meals for 8 to 30 days. It can be repeated as necessary.

Is Albendazole safe for toddlers (1-3 years old children)?

According to a study, Albendazole medicine is generally recommended as preventive chemotherapy (deworming) because children are more at risk of worm infection. 

A single dose of Albendazole is usually recommended to every child who lives in a slum or unhygienic area. 

You may give this drug to your child every year or every 6 months under medical supervision. 

It is a highly effective and well-tolerated drug among children over 1 year. 

A review article published in Cambridge University Press 2001 summarised the safety and efficacy of Albendazole in humans. 

In this study, Albendazole was found safe in children and adults.

It has very low or negligible side effects. Moreover, Albendazole is easy to administer because this medicine requires only single-dose administration. 

However, Albendazole is the safest drug; nevertheless, it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional or paediatrician.

How much albendazole tablet dose for a child for deworming?

The albendazole dose for children is usually calculated based on weight and the condition being treated. A common dosing guideline for albendazole in children is 15 mg/kg of body weight, given as a single dose.

Therefore, it is always important to consult with a doctor or paediatrician before giving any medicine to your child.

Albendazole drug is available in the form of tablets and syrup. You may give either tablet or syrup (suspension) to your child as per their feasibility. It comes in the market with a brand name of 

• Zentel
• Noworm
• Bandy
• Bendex

Albendazole dose for children

1. Albendazole dose for infants (less than 1 year)

Albendazole is usually not recommended in infants (less than 1 year) because there is not enough safety data in this age group. 

2. Albendazole dose for 1 to 2-year-old child

According to WHO, the albendazole 200 mg dose is recommended for children in the age group 1-2 years. 

A single dose is sufficient to treat worm infestations. 

If the symptoms are not subsided, the same dose can be repeated after 2 weeks.   

3. Albendazole dose for above 2 years child

Suppose your child’s age is more than 2 years, like pre-schoolers (2-5 years), school-aged children (6-12 years), and teenagers (>12 years). In this case, albendazole 400 mg single dose is sufficient for treating worm infestations. 

If the condition is not controlled well, the same dose can be repeated after 2 weeks. 

In 2006, a randomized-controlled trial was conducted in Uganda associated with deworming with increased weight gain after taking the standard dose of Albendazole 400 mg in preschool children over three consecutive years. 

Albendazole dose for adults and older

Albendazole 400 mg is the standard dose, and a single dose is quite enough for deworming. It can be given in any age group, either adult or older.  

What would be the exact albendazole syrup dose for children? 

Albendazole medicine usually comes in a suspension dosage form.

It contains a suspended molecule of albendazole in a 10 ml bottle. So, we require shaking the albendazole oral suspension bottle before use.

Albendazole oral suspension is typically easier to administer, especially for children or persons who have difficulty swallowing tablets.

It usually comes in a liquid form that can be measured with a dosing cup or spoon, making it convenient for accurate dosage administration.

Normally, it is unknown to people what suspension means. This is why albendazole suspension is often called albendazole syrup.

Albendazole oral suspension is popular in brand names such as Zentel, Abendol, Bandy, Bendex, Noworm, ABZ, etc.

The entire 10 ml bottle contains 400 mg albendazole drug (40 mg/ml). It means each 5ml of albendazole oral suspension ip (or Indian Pharmacopoeia) contains 200 mg of albendazole drug.

The albendazole syrup dose for children would typically be determined by their weight and the specific type of parasitic infection being treated.

Albendazole syrup dose for 1 year old child

The albendazole dose is 15 mg/kg/day of body weight, which requires a single dose.

Suppose your child is 1 year old and his/her body weight is around 10 kg. To calculate albendazole dosage, we need to multiply 15 mg/kg by 10 kg. After calculating, your child will require 150 mg (15 x 10) albendazole drug.

The Albendazole 200 mg is considered the standard dose for 1 year old child. Your child will require 5 ml of albendazole syrup.

Albendazole syrup dose for 2 year old child

It is generally recommended albendazole 200 mg for children, whose age is less than 2 years old or has completed 2 years. 

You may require albendazole oral suspension of 5 ml for the 2-year-old child as a single dose.

Albendazole syrup dose for more than 2 year old child

Suppose your child’s age is more than 2 years. In that case, you will be required to give an entire albendazole oral suspension bottle (400 mg of 10ml).

For example –

Should albendazole be taken before or after meals for deworming?

It depends on the type of worm infestation you have – 

For intestinal worms before the meal

Suppose you have intestinal worms. In this case, you should take the Albendazole drug on an empty stomach because you don’t require the medication inside your blood. 

If you take albendazole empty stomach, it will stay longer in your intestine and work effectively to kill parasitic worms. After one hour of taking medicine, you can have your meal.

For systemic worms after meals

If you have parasitic worms in your blood or tissue, such as dog tapeworms, pork tapeworms, etc., you will require albendazole medicine in your blood.

Generally, albendazole gets rapidly absorbed in your blood with fatty food. 

It is always better to take albendazole with a fatty meal (high-fat content) like milk, paneer, cheese, etc. The absorption of the albendazole drug increases five times more if you take albendazole with a fatty meal. 

What to do if pinworms keep coming back?

Suppose your kids are not getting a response from Albendazole even after administering the second dose. In that case, your doctor may give you ivermectin medicine with Albendazole. 

Ivermectin paralyzes or kills the worms and expels them through stool. It is a potent anthelmintic agent that helps kill and clear your intestinal worms. 

The combination of ivermectin and Albendazole drug is usually prescribed in recurrent or repeated worm infestation. The combination of ivermectin and albendazole oral suspension is available in the market with common brands –

• Noworm plus
• Bandy plus
• Bendex plus
• Ivoral forte 
• Ibendzole 

A single dose of ivermectin is enough and the dose can be repeated if the worm load is very high. 

It is a safe and effective combination. Even a study published in The Lancet, 2021, has proven the high efficacy of co-administered ivermectin-albendazole over monotherapy of Albendazole.  

Conclusion 

Albendazole is a well-tolerated and highly effective anthelmintic drug for the treatment of a variety of parasitic infections in children and adults. 

It must be used correctly to ensure safety and efficacy.

This medicine is a safe drug as Albendazole has minimum side effects. 

The biggest advantage of the albendazole drug is single-dose administration because a single dose is sufficient for its effectiveness. So, there is no need to repeat the medicine. 

Albendazole is a schedule H drug (or prescription drug). So, Always consult with a healthcare professional for the appropriate dosage based on the child’s age, weight, and specific infection.

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FAQ

Q 1. Can I take Paracetamol and albendazole together?

There is no such interaction between paracetamol and Albendazole. So, you may take these drugs together by consulting with your doctor. 

Q 2. Is it safe to take Albendazole during pregnancy?

Albendazole has shown embryotoxicity in animal studies. So, it should be avoided in pregnancy.

Q 3. Which is better albendazole or mebendazole?

Both drugs are well-tolerated and effective. However, in many studies, Albendazole has shown more effectiveness than mebendazole. 

Q 4. Is one tablet of albendazole enough?

Yes. Albendazole is a highly effective drug for parasites even at a single dose. You don’t need to give another albendazole dose unless doctors prescribe it.

Q 5. Will I see worms in my stool after taking albendazole?

After taking albendazole, it is possible to see dead or expelled worms in the stool, especially if you are being treated for a parasitic infection such as a tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm, or whipworm. However, not seeing worms in your stool does not necessarily mean that the medication has not been effective.

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