Materno-fetal transmission of pregnancy malaria: an immunoparasitological study on 202 parturients in Maputo.
A total of 202 delivering mothers and their newborns were studied with the intention to follow the materno-fetal transmission of malaria. Malaria infection was encountered in 35 cases (17.3%) in which Plasmodium falciparum predominated in peripheral blood while P. malariae predominated on the placental surface. In cord blood P. falciparum was encountered in 1.5% of the cases. There was slightly more maternal infection in rural (23%) than in suburban areas (19%). Less malaria infection was encountered in primiparas than in multiparas and there was similar antibody response in both mothers and their newborns. Anaemia was encountered in 70% of the mothers and in 93% of the newborns. There was no significant correlation between low birthweight of the newborn and malaria parasitaemia in the mother.
Bergström
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique.
Fernandes
A
A
Schwalbach
J
J
Perez
O
O
Miyar
R
R
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001724:Birth Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000469:parasitology; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood / Q000151:congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D009073:Mozambique / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D010920:Placenta / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010965:Plasmodium malariae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D013383:Suburban Population; D014505:Urban Population
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D006454:Hemoglobins