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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Placental infections with histologically confirmed Plasmodium falciparum are associated with adverse birth outcomes in India: A cross-sectional study
Malaria Journal, Volume 13, No. 1, Article 232, Year 2014
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Description
Background: Few studies have assessed placental malaria infections from low transmission areas by histopathology to define their impact and underlying mechanisms. Methods. Peripheral smears and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), placental smears and histological samples, birth weight and gestational age were collected from 2,282 deliveries in three hospitals during a one-year (2006-2007) continuous cross-sectional survey in Madhya Pradesh. Placental histopathology included all 50 cases positive by microscopy or RDT plus 456 randomly selected samples of women negative for malaria by microscopy or RDT. Histological examination included parasites, inflammatory cells, pigment in fibrin, and morphological changes. Results: There were 52 histology-positive cases; 38 (73.1%) active (acute and chronic) and 14 past infections. Intervillous parasitaemia was low (60% had < 1% parasitaemia) and monocytosis mostly mild (63%). Compared with uninfected placentas, acute Plasmodium falciparum infections were associated with stillbirth (RR 3.8, 95% CI 1.2-12.1), lower maternal haemoglobin (mean difference: 1.5 g/dL, 95% CI 0.5-2.5), lower birth weight (mean difference 451 g, 95% CI 169-609) and shorter gestation (mean difference 0.8 weeks, 95% CI 0.2-1.4). Chronic or past infections were not associated with these outcomes. Among the 11 peripheral Plasmodium vivax cases, placental parasites were absent, but they were associated with increased placental polymorphonuclear cells. Conclusions: Malaria associated stillbirth and low birth weight in women with low protective immunity may result, at least in part, from a shortened gestation triggered by acute infection, stressing the importance of early malaria detection. © 2014 Ahmed et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Ahmed, Rukhsana
United Kingdom, Liverpool
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Singh, Neeru N.
India, Jabalpur
National Institute for Malaria Research Field Station
ter Kuile, Feiko O.
United Kingdom, Liverpool
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Bharti, Praveen Kumar
India, Jabalpur
National Institute for Malaria Research Field Station
Singh, Pushpendra Pal
India, Jabalpur
National Institute for Malaria Research Field Station
Desai, Meghna R.
United States, Atlanta
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam
United States, Atlanta
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Terlouw, Dianne Janette
United Kingdom, Liverpool
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Malawi, Blantyre
Malawi-liverpool-wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme
Statistics
Citations: 24
Authors: 8
Affiliations: 4
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1186/1475-2875-13-232
e-ISSN:
14752875
Research Areas
Infectious Diseases
Maternal And Child Health
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Quantitative
Participants Gender
Female