Abstract:
Malaria remains a public health burden in pregnancy causing adverse effects to mother and foetus. This study investigated the prevalence and effect of peripheral and placental malaria in pregnant women in Nsukka. Five hundred and twenty pregnant women (ages 17≥41) participated in the study; 400 in the peripheral and 120 in the placental study. Demographic information of the pregnant women was captured while microscopy and Rapid Dip Stick Test (RDST) were used to establish malaria infection. Full blood count was done to ascertain haematological indices. Prevalence of malaria was 25% (P. falciparum, 98; P. vivax, 2) in the peripheral study and 50.8% (P. falciparum, 64) in the placental study using microscopy. RDST gave a prevalence of 2.5% and 22.2% for peripheral and placental malaria respectively. The peak age specific prevalence was 16-20 (38.9%) and 31-35 (56.0%) for the peripheral and placental malaria infections respectively with significant difference (P<0.05). Infected placentas were associated with low birth weight (100%). Similarly, placental malaria was prevalent in post term births (60.0%). The degree of severe anaemia was significantly higher in placental infection (3.3%) than peripheral infection (1.8%). There was a negative correlation between birth weight and parasitemia (r=-0.55) with statistical association (P=0.00). Gestational period was associated with birth weight (r=0.35; P=0.00) but not with parasitemia (P=0.23). The results underscore the prevalence and adverse effect of malaria infection among pregnant women and the importance of malaria as a threat and priority in rural health care delivery system.
