title: The effect of malaria and intestinal helminth coinfection on birth outcomes in Kumasi, Ghana.
abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Plasmodium falciparum and intestinal helminth coinfection on maternal anemia and birth outcomes. A cross-sectional study of 746 women who delivered in two hospitals in Kumasi was conducted. Data were collected using an investigator-administered questionnaire and from patients' medical records. Blood was collected for determination of P. falciparum and hemoglobin levels. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were high (44.6%). Coinfection (versus no infection) was associated with 3-fold increase in low birth weight. For women with anemia, coinfection was 2.6 times and 3.5 times as likely to result in preterm deliveries and small for gestational age infants. The odds of having anemia was increased almost 3-fold by coinfection. Coinfection (versus helminth only) resulted in increased risks of anemia, low birth weight, and small for gestational age infants. This study demonstrates that women with malaria and intestinal helminth coinfection are at particular risk of adverse birth outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA. yatich@uab.edu
authors.forename: Nelly J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Yatich
authors.forename: Pauline E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Jolly
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Funkhouser
authors.forename: Tsiri
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Agbenyega
authors.forename: Julian C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rayner
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ehiri
authors.forename: Archer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turpin
authors.forename: Jonathan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Stiles
authors.forename: William O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome