title: Fetal Growth Restriction Is Associated With Malaria in Pregnancy: A Prospective Longitudinal Study in Benin.
abstract: Few studies have evaluated the effect of malaria on intrauterine growth restriction on the basis of the fetal growth rate, rather than just the small-for-gestational age z score. Here, we assessed the impact of malaria on IUGR, using data from a longitudinal, ultrasonography-based follow-up study of Beninese women.
  
  
  
  A total of 1016 women were followed up from gestational week 17 to delivery. Malaria was detected every month. Women underwent ultrasonography 4 times for gestational age determination and fetal biometry. We assessed the effect of malaria on birth weight-for-gestational age z score (n = 735 women) and fetal growth velocity (n = 664), defined as a change in fetal weight z score over time.
  
  
  
  Malaria was detected in 43% of women. Fetal growth velocity was negative overall, decreasing further at the end of the third trimester. Women with ≥2 malarial parasite infections tended to have lower z scores than uninfected women. Malaria both in early and late pregnancy was associated with a reduction in fetal growth velocity, which occurred either immediately or with a delay after infection.
  
  
  
  We confirmed the deleterious effect of malaria during both early and late pregnancy on fetal growth. This stresses the importance of starting preventive measures against malaria as early as possible during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales (UMR216), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Briand
authors.affiliation: Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales (UMR216), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saal
authors.affiliation: Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales (UMR216), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité
authors.forename: Caline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghafari
authors.affiliation: Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales (UMR216), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité
authors.forename: Bich-Tram
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Huynh
authors.affiliation: Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales (UMR216), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fievet
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christentze
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmiegelow
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de parasitologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé Centre d'Étude et de Recherche sur le Paludisme Associé à la Grossesse et l'Enfance, Cotonou, Benin.
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Massougbodji
authors.affiliation: Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales (UMR216), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deloron
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité Obstetrical, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology Research Team, Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (U1153), Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeitlin
authors.affiliation: Mère et enfant face aux infections tropicales (UMR216), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001541:Benin; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005333:Fetus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Africa; epidemiology; fetal growth restriction; malaria; pregnancy