A new study has noted that mothers given deworming treatment during pregnancy reduce the risk of their child dying within the first four weeks following birth by about 14%. 

Another benefit of deworming is that treating pregnant women with an anthelminthic can avert low birthweight. The study noted that in countries with low transmission of soil-transmitted helminths, deworming reduced the likelihood of low birthweight by 11%; however, this differed in relation to transmission rates across different countries. The study titled ‘Routine deworming during antenatal care decreases risk of neonatal mortality and low birthweight: a retrospective cohort of survey data’ is published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases… (WHO, April 29, 2021)