title: Transplacental passage of Plasmodium falciparum and seroevaluation of newborns in northern Nigeria.
abstract: The findings of a prospective study of 656 near-term pregnant; women, and of the cord and peripheral blood of newborns of positive mothers are reported. 292 (44.51%) of the pregnant women were infected with Plasmodium falciparum. Further microscopic screening of the cord blood of newborns of the 292 positive cases at delivery showed a parasite rate of 10.95%. Transplacental passage of P. falciparum was confirmed by detection of parasitemia in the peripheral blood of 2.82% of newborns within 7 days of birth. Serological investigation of sera of 284 newborns by indirect fluorescent technic (IFA) with P. falciparum IgM specific conjugate indicated that 72 (24.66%) had IgM antibodies of P. falciparum in their blood. The average birthweight of seropositive newborns was 400 g less than seronegative ones. There was no significant difference in the rate of neonatal infection regardless of whether or not the mothers had taken chloroquine prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Jos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Egwunyenga
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ajayi
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Duhlinska-Popova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007075:Immunoglobulin M