title: Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia among booked parturients who received two doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) in a tertiary health facility Southeast Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria is preventable but has contributed significantly to maternal morbidity and mortality in our environment. Malaria parasitaemia during pregnancy is mostly asymptomatic, untreated but with complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A follow-up study aimed at determining plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia and associated complications among booked parturient who had intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) compared with another study among unbooked parturients who did not take SP for intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in the labour ward complex of Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki from March to May 2012. Five hundred booked parturients at term that received two doses of SP were consecutively recruited. A structured data collection sheet was administered to each parturient. Thick and thin blood films were prepared for quantification and speciation of parasitaemia, respectively. The haemoglobin concentration and birth weights were determined. Analysis was done with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software with level of significance at P value < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of malaria parasitaemia in the study was 59.6%. The mean age of parturients was 28.7 (5.5). The highest prevalence of malaria parasitaemia, 92% was found among the parturients aged ≤19 years. The association between age and parasitaemia was significant (x(2) = 16.496, P = 0.000). The median parity was 1.0 (3.0). The highest prevalence of asymptomatic parasitaemia, 65.5% was noted among the nulliparous parturients. The association between parity and parasitaemia was significant (x(2) = 11.551, P = 0.003). Majority of the parturients were of high social class. Those of the lowest social class (class 5) had the highest prevalence (80%) of parasitaemia. The association between social class and parasitaemia was significant (x(2) = 9.131, P = 0.003). Prevalence of anaemia in the study was 14%. The non-parasitaemic and parasitaemic parturients had mean haemoglobin concentrations of 12.7 g/dl and 10.4 g/dl, respectively. There was significant association between haemoglobin concentration and parasitaemia (x(2) = 39.143, P = 0.000). The prevalence of low birth weight was 3.0%. The relationship between birth weight and parasitaemia was significant (x(2) = 2.535, P = 0.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The was reduction in asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia compared to parturients who had no SP though the prevalence was still high showing possibly increasing resistance to SP but the treatment was still very effective in reducing anaemia and low birth weight associated with malaria in pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Matthew Igwe
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Nwali
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Brown N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Ejikeme
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Agboeze
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Azubike K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Onyebuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Bonaventure O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Anozie
keywords: Intermittent preventive treatment; Nigeria; malaria; sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine