title: Malaria in Pregnancy Is a Predictor of Infant Haemoglobin Concentrations during the First Year of Life in Benin, West Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anaemia is an increasingly recognized health problem in Africa, particularly in infants and pregnant women. Although malaria is known to be the main risk factor of anaemia in both groups, the consequences of maternal factors, particularly malaria in pregnancy (MiP), on infant haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations during the first months of life are still unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We followed-up a cohort of 1005 Beninese pregnant women from the beginning of pregnancy until delivery. A subsample composed of the first 400 offspring of these women were selected at birth and followed until the first year of life. Placental histology and blood smear at 1st clinical antenatal visit (ANC), 2nd ANC and delivery were used to assess malaria during pregnancy. Infant Hb concentrations were measured at birth, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. A mixed multi-level model was used to assess the association between MiP and infant Hb variations during the first 12 months of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Placental malaria (difference mean [dm] = - 2.8 g/L, 95% CI [-5.3, -0.3], P = 0.03) and maternal peripheral parasitaemia at delivery (dm = - 4.6 g/L, 95% CI [-7.9, -1.3], P = 0.007) were the main maternal factors significantly associated with infant Hb concentrations during the first year of life. Poor maternal nutritional status and malaria infection during infancy were also significantly associated with a decrease in infant Hb.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antimalarial control and nutritional interventions before and during pregnancy should be reinforced to reduce specifically the incidence of infant anaemia, particularly in Sub-Saharan countries.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR216-Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales, Paris, France; PRES Paris Sorbonne Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France; Faculté de Médecine de Cotonou, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Accrombessi
authors.affiliation: Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Université de Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
authors.forename: Smaïla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ouédraogo
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR216-Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales, Paris, France; PRES Paris Sorbonne Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France; Faculté de Médecine de Cotonou, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin.
authors.forename: Gino Cédric
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Agbota
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM), Manhiça, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Médecine de Cotonou, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin.
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Massougbodji
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Manhiça Health Research Center (CISM), Manhiça, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Menéndez
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR216-Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales, Paris, France; PRES Paris Sorbonne Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cot
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000354:Africa, Western; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins