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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
The prevalence of congenital malaria among neonates with suspected sepsis in Calabar, Nigeria
Tropical Doctor, Volume 38, No. 2, Year 2008
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Description
We studied the prevalence of congenital malaria among neonates with suspected sepsis and its outcome at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria. All in-born neonates admitted to the newborn unit with clinical features suggestive of sepsis were recruited. They were screened for bacterial sepsis and malaria. The mothers of the neonates that had parasitaemia were further screened for malaria and anaemia. A total of 546 in-born neonates were admitted to the neonatal unit and 202 (37%) presented with clinical signs suggested of sepsis. Of these, 71 babies (35% of 202 or 13% of the total in-born nursery admissions) had congenital malaria and 14 also had sepsis. Sixty-three (88.7%) of the parasitaemic babies were delivered by mothers who received antenatal care at our centre. Eighty-six percent of the mothers of the 71 babies also had the malaria parasite in their blood. The majority (67%) of the 71 mothers were gravidae 2 and below. Thirty (42.3%) of the affected neonates were anaemic and 5 (7%) of them required a blood transfusion. Congenital malarial is not uncommon in Calabar among babies with suspected sepsis. It appears that the antenatal chemoprophylaxis with pyrimethamine (25 mg weekly) currently used for malaria in our centre no longer protects the mother and fetus. An alternative is needed in order to stem maternal, fetal and neonatal morbidity and wastage. Babies with features of sepsis should be routinely screened for malaria. © 2008, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Ekanem, Asuquo D.
Nigeria, Calabar
University of Calabar
Anah, Maxwell Udoh
Nigeria, Calabar
University of Calabar
Udo, Jacob Jackson
Nigeria, Calabar
University of Calabar
Statistics
Citations: 55
Authors: 3
Affiliations: 1
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1258/td.2007.005274
ISSN:
00494755
Research Areas
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases
Maternal And Child Health
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Locations
Nigeria