title: A comparison of the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia in pregnant and non pregnant women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To compare the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia and the mean parasite density in pregnant women at first antenatal visit with those of the control subjects at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case control prospective survey using a structured questionnaire to collect data from pregnant women attending antenatal clinic between 1 April and 30 September 2001 and matched controls at the GOPD during the same period. Peripheral blood smears were examined in 420 pregnant women at their first antenatal visit and 200 control subjects to compare the prevalence of malaria parasitaemia and mean parasite density in pregnant women and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of parasitaemia was 79.3 percent (i.e. 333 of 420) for pregnant women and 31.5 percent (or 63 of 200) for the control. For both pregnant women and controls, an overall prevalence of 63.1 percent was observed. The study found the mean parasite density for the pregnant women to be 1978 +/- 1531 (Mean +/- SD), while that of the controls was 766 +/- 1923.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates the higher prevalence of malaria parasitaemia and mean parasite density in pregnant women when compared with the matched controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Health Care Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P.M.B. 5001, Nnewi Campus, Nigeria. godswilln@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Nnaji
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ikechebelu
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Okafor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult