A comparison of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine with chloroquine and pyrimethamine for prevention of malaria in pregnant Nigerian women.
Few studies have documented the effectiveness in west Africa of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in pregnancy. Pregnant Nigerian women were assigned to receive either SP given twice or presumptive chloroquine (CQ) treatment followed by weekly pyrimethamine (CQ + P); 250 were enrolled in each group. Of those completing follow-up, 4 (1.8%) in the SP group and 22 (9.8%) in the CQ + P groups had a febrile illness (P = 0.005). None in the SP group but 11 (4.9%) in the CQ + P group had peripheral parasitemia prior to or during delivery (P = 0.002). Two (1.2%) in the SP group and 9 (5.0%) in the CQ + P group were anemic at delivery (P = 0.04). There were six low birth weight infants in the SP group and eight in the CQ + P group (P = 0.21). Intermittent preventive treatment with SP is superior to CQ + P for prevention of malaria and anemia in pregnant women in Nigeria.
Tukur
Ibrahim U
IU
Departments of Family Medicine, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria. iutukur@yahoo.com
Thacher
Tom D
TD
Sagay
Atiene S
AS
Madaki
Jeremiah K A
JK
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009549:Nigeria; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000254:growth & development*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000962:Antimalarials; D004338:Drug Combinations; C001205:fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination; D013413:Sulfadoxine; D002738:Chloroquine; D011739:Pyrimethamine