Risk of adverse swallowing events and choking during deworming for preschool-aged children.

Background: In areas where the prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) is >20%, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that deworming medication be given periodically to preschool-age children. To reduce risk of choking-related deaths in children <3 years old, WHO recommends that deworming tablets be crushed and given with water. Little is known about how widely this is practiced or its effectiveness.