Symptomatic and asymptomatic enteric protozoan parasitic infection and their association with subsequent growth parameters in under five children in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

While some studies have found that Giardia is not associated with (or protective against) acute diarrhea, our findings suggest that it is associated with growth shortfall. This observation underscores the need for preventive strategies targeting enteric protozoan parasites among young children, to reduce the burden of childhood malnutrition.