title: Plasmodium falciparum infection during pregnancy in an unstable transmission area in eastern Sudan.
abstract: A 1-year prospective community-based study of malaria during pregnancy was conducted in an area of seasonal and unstable malaria transmission in eastern Sudan. At a village antenatal clinic, 89 non-pregnant controls and 86 pregnant women were enrolled and followed every 2 weeks until 6 weeks after delivery. The incidence of Plasmodium falciparum infection was significantly higher among pregnant than control women (17.4% versus 5.6%) with no difference between primigravidae and multigravidae (22.2% versus 15.2%). There was no significant difference in the mean haemoglobin concentration between infected and uninfected mothers (9.1 +/- 1.3 versus 9.5 +/- 0.6 g/dL) but the mean birth weight of their babies was significantly lower (2.72 +/- 0.26 versus 2.95 +/- 0.05 kg) despite prompt case management of infected women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elghazali
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamad
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: El-Bashir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001724:Birth Weight; D019090:Case Management; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D010298:Parity; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D011322:Primary Prevention; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012621:Seasons; D013397:Sudan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D006454:Hemoglobins