title: Factors contributing to anaemia after uncomplicated Plasmodiumfalciparum malaria in children.
abstract: The factors contributing to anaemia in falciparum malaria were characterized in 1261 prospectively studied children in an endemic area of southwestern Nigeria. Of these, 487 (39%) presented with anaemia (haematocrit <30%). The following were found to be independent risk factors for anaemia at presentation: age <5 years, history of illness >3 days before presentation, presence of fever, a palpable liver, >parasitaemia 10,000/microl blood, and gametocytaemia. The mean maximum fractional fall in haematocrit (FFH) after treatment was 13.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 13-14.6) of the baseline value. This occurred 3 days after treatment began and correlated positively with enrolment haematocrit. In children whose haematocrit was >30% at enrolment, the following were found to be independent risk factors associated with subsequent development of anaemia during follow-up: age <5 years and parasitaemia > or =100,000 parasites/microl. Haematological recovery was usually complete by 4-5 weeks, but was slower in children who were anaemic at enrolment and in those with recrudescence of their infections. Half of the children with recrudescence were still anaemic at 4 weeks. These findings have implications for the control of the burden of malarial anaemia in children in sub-Saharan African countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Institute for Medical Research and Training, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. akinsowunmi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Akintunde
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sowunmi
authors.forename: Grace O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Gbotosho
authors.forename: Christian T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Happi
authors.forename: Babasola A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Fateye
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000150:complications; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials