Anaemia in pregnancy: Plasmodium falciparum infection is an important cause in primigravidae in Hoima district, western Uganda

TY - JOUR

T1 - Anaemia in pregnancy

T2 - Plasmodium falciparum infection is an important cause in primigravidae in Hoima district, western Uganda

AU - Ndyomugyenyi, R.

AU - Magnussen, P.

PY - 1999/8/24

Y1 - 1999/8/24

N2 - Infection with Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of anaemia in pregnancy, especially in primigravidae. Of 853 primigravidae visiting an antenatal clinic in Hoima district, western Uganda, for the first time, 530 (62.1%) were found to have P. falciparum parasitaemias and 305 (57.5%) of these had at least 1000 parasites/μl blood. Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia was significantly associated with anaemia (relative risk = 0.84, with 95% confidence limits = 0.74-0.96; P = 0.01). Malarial parasites were detected in > 80% of the women who had severe anaemia (P = 0.0008) and haemoglobin concentrations decreased with increasing intensity of infection (P = 0.03). Malarial hyper-reactive splenomegaly was associated with high parasite density (P = 0.01) and low haemoglobin level (P < 0.0001). Effective measures aimed at prevention of malaria and anaemia in pregnancy, especially in primigravidae, would significantly reduce anaemia and its deleterious effects on both the mother and the baby.

AB - Infection with Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of anaemia in pregnancy, especially in primigravidae. Of 853 primigravidae visiting an antenatal clinic in Hoima district, western Uganda, for the first time, 530 (62.1%) were found to have P. falciparum parasitaemias and 305 (57.5%) of these had at least 1000 parasites/μl blood. Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia was significantly associated with anaemia (relative risk = 0.84, with 95% confidence limits = 0.74-0.96; P = 0.01). Malarial parasites were detected in > 80% of the women who had severe anaemia (P = 0.0008) and haemoglobin concentrations decreased with increasing intensity of infection (P = 0.03). Malarial hyper-reactive splenomegaly was associated with high parasite density (P = 0.01) and low haemoglobin level (P < 0.0001). Effective measures aimed at prevention of malaria and anaemia in pregnancy, especially in primigravidae, would significantly reduce anaemia and its deleterious effects on both the mother and the baby.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032818372&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/00034989958195

DO - 10.1080/00034989958195

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 10690241

AN - SCOPUS:0032818372

SN - 2047-7724

VL - 93

SP - 457

EP - 465

JO - Pathogens and Global Health

JF - Pathogens and Global Health

IS - 5

ER -