Associations between maternal helminth and malaria infections in pregnancy, and clinical malaria in the offspring: a birth cohort in Entebbe, Uganda

TY - JOUR

T1 - Associations between maternal helminth and malaria infections in pregnancy, and clinical malaria in the offspring

T2 - a birth cohort in Entebbe, Uganda

AU - Ndibazza, Juliet

AU - Webb, Emily L

AU - Lule, Swaib

AU - Harriet, Mpairwe

AU - Akello, Miriam

AU - Oduru, Gloria

AU - Kizza, Moses

AU - Akurut, Helen

AU - Muhangi, Lawrence

AU - Magnussen, Pascal

AU - Vennervald, Birgitte

AU - Elliott, Alison

PY - 2013/12/15

Y1 - 2013/12/15

N2 - Background. Helminth and malaria coinfections are common in the tropics. We investigated the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to these parasites might influence susceptibility to malaria in childhood. Methods. In a birth cohort of 2345 mother-child pairs in Uganda, maternal helminth and malaria infection status was determined during pregnancy, and childhood malaria episodes were recorded from birth to age 5 years. We examined associations between maternal infections and malaria in the offspring. Results. Common maternal infections were hookworm (45%), Mansonella perstans (21%), Schistosoma mansoni (18%), and Plasmodium falciparum (11%). At age 5 years, 69% of the children were still under follow-up. The incidence of malaria was 34 episodes per 100 child-years, and the mean prevalence of asymptomatic malaria at annual visits was 5.4%. Maternal hookworm and M. perstans infections were associated with an increased rate of childhood clinical malaria (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.41; aHR, 1.20, 95% CI, 1.05-1.38, respectively). S. mansoni infection had no consistent association with childhood malaria. Conclusions. This is the first report of an association between helminth infections in pregnancy and malaria in the offspring and indicates that helminth infections in pregnancy may increase the burden of childhood malaria morbidity.

AB - Background. Helminth and malaria coinfections are common in the tropics. We investigated the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to these parasites might influence susceptibility to malaria in childhood. Methods. In a birth cohort of 2345 mother-child pairs in Uganda, maternal helminth and malaria infection status was determined during pregnancy, and childhood malaria episodes were recorded from birth to age 5 years. We examined associations between maternal infections and malaria in the offspring. Results. Common maternal infections were hookworm (45%), Mansonella perstans (21%), Schistosoma mansoni (18%), and Plasmodium falciparum (11%). At age 5 years, 69% of the children were still under follow-up. The incidence of malaria was 34 episodes per 100 child-years, and the mean prevalence of asymptomatic malaria at annual visits was 5.4%. Maternal hookworm and M. perstans infections were associated with an increased rate of childhood clinical malaria (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.41; aHR, 1.20, 95% CI, 1.05-1.38, respectively). S. mansoni infection had no consistent association with childhood malaria. Conclusions. This is the first report of an association between helminth infections in pregnancy and malaria in the offspring and indicates that helminth infections in pregnancy may increase the burden of childhood malaria morbidity.

U2 - 10.1093/infdis/jit397

DO - 10.1093/infdis/jit397

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23904293

SN - 0022-1899

VL - 208

SP - 2007

EP - 2016

JO - The Journal of Infectious Diseases

JF - The Journal of Infectious Diseases

ER -