Dosing of Albendazole in Children

Introduction to Albendazole Treatment

The standard dose of albendazole for children over 24 months is 400 mg as a single dose for common parasitic infections, or 400 mg daily for 3-21 days depending on the specific parasite, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 1

For Trichuriasis, a combination of 100 mg mebendazol twice a day for 3 days and ivermectina 200 μg/kg once a day for 3 days is recommended, with low cure rates (27-60%) for albendazole monotherapy 2
For Larva migrans visceral (Toxocara), 400 mg twice a day for 5 days is recommended, primarily affecting children under 5 years old 3
For Ocular Toxocara disease, 400 mg twice a day for 3-14 days is recommended, depending on severity, with joint ophthalmological management 3, 4
For Capillariasis, 400 mg twice a day for 21 days with monitoring of liver function and hemogram is recommended 2

For children between 12-24 months, consultation with a specialist is required before administering albendazole for asymptomatic eosinophilia, due to limited evidence of safety and efficacy in this age group 1

For treatment courses over 14 days, monitoring for hepatotoxicity and leucopenia is recommended, with a half-life of elimination of the active metabolite (albendazol sulfóxido) of 8-12 hours 1, 5

Retreatment with a repeated dose after 2-8 weeks may be considered for helminthic infections where residual worms develop into adults 1
For Loeffler syndrome without identified organism, a single dose of ivermectina 200 μg/kg plus albendazol 400 mg, with retreatment 1 month after resolution of pulmonary symptoms, is recommended 3, 4