Malaria in Pregnancy in Three Woredas of East Shoa
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Date
1994-05
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
A cross-sectiona l, community based study of malaria was
condu c t ed from September-December 1993 , in an un stab l e ma laria
endemi c area in Eastern Shoa , Ethiopia, to determine the prevalence
and document the c l inical features and treatment responses in
pregnant and non pregnant women.
A total of 1,767 women were studied. Ninety (11.3%) pregnant
and 63{6.6%) non pregnant women were found to have malaria
parasitemi a (P=O.OOl). The rate in primigravidae was hi gher than in
multigravidae, 212(12.24%) and 31 4{11 .4%) respectively, though the
difference was not sta ti stical ly s igni ficant.
Overa ll Plasmodial prevalence showed 49.7% Plasmodium v i vax
and 50.3% Plasmodium falciparum. Mean gestat ional age o f the
pregnant women was 21.09± 10.2 weeks wi th Peak malari a parasitemia
around mid- pregnancy. Maj ority of cases were symptomatic during
diagnosis and symptoms were not different between pregnant and non
pregnant.
Conjun ct i va l pallor was more documented in pregnant than in
non pregnant (OR = 3.04, 95% CI.1.47,6 . 33). Mean haematocrit in
the pregnant was 30.3± 4.6% a nd 33.4± 6.8% in the non pregnant (P=
0.000 1) . Primigravidae showed lower haematocrit va lues a nd higher
mean parasite counts when compared to multigravidae (P =0.03 and
0.06 respectively). Mean asexual malaria parasite count was 6, 561±
5,259/micro litter of blood and 4,598± 4,275/micro litter of b l ood
in pregnant and non pregnant respectively (P= 0.01).
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Clinical responses in both groups were not signi f icantly
different. Findings are discussed and recommendations made
regarding future studies.
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Keywords
Malaria in Pregnancy