Is malarial placental infection related to peripheral infection at any time of pregnancy?
Placental infection measured by placental smear at delivery is a standard indicator, widely used to characterize malaria infection in pregnant women. However, a single measure can hardly reflect the entire history of infection during pregnancy. To investigate the relation between this indicator and peripheral infection during pregnancy, we used data collected in a randomized trial of malaria prophylaxis in 928 pregnant women in Burkina Faso, 1987-1988, during which repeated measures of peripheral infection were taken. We analyzed placental infection using a logistic model, with two methods for handling missing data. Peripheral infection during two periods of pregnancy was significantly related to placental infection at delivery, before the fifth month: OR = 2.9 [1.3; 6.3]; after 7 months: OR = 4.9 [2.7; 8.8]). Therefore, an early peripheral infection may persist throughout gestation, and placental infection is a good indicator of the women's parasitological status during pregnancy.
Cottrell
Gilles
G
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UR 010 Santé de la Mère et de l'Enfant en Milieu Tropical, Paris, France. gillescottrell@hotmail.com
Mary
Jean-Yves
JY
Barro
Drissa
D
Cot
Michel
M
D000328:Adult; D002050:Burkina Faso / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology; D010922:Placenta Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic