A comparison of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine with chloroquine and pyrimethamine for prevention of malaria in pregnant nigerian women

Few studies have documented the effectiveness in west Africa of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) in pregnancy. Pregnant Nigerian women were assigned to receive either SP given twice or presumptive chloroquine (CQ) treatment followed by weekly pyrimethamine (CQ + P); 250 were enrolled in each group. Of those completing follow-up, 4 (1.8%) in the SP group and 22 (9.8%) in the CQ + P groups had a febrile illness (P = 0.005). None in the SP group but 11 (4.9%) in the CQ + P group had peripheral parasitemia prior to or during delivery (P = 0.002). Two (1.2%) in the SP group and 9 (5.0%) in the CQ + P group were anemic at delivery (P = 0.04). There were six low birth weight infants in the SP group and eight in the CQ + P group (P = 0.21). Intermittent preventive treatment with SP is superior to CQ + P for prevention of malaria and anemia in pregnant women in Nigeria. Copyright © 2007 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.