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Prenatal Malaria Exposure and Risk of Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Prospective Cohort Study of Pregnant Women in the Northern Region of Ghana Publisher Pubmed



Hussein H1 ; Shamsipour M2, 3 ; Yunesian M2, 4 ; Hassanvand MS3, 4 ; Agordoh PD5 ; Seidu MA6 ; Fotouhi A7
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Statistical Sciences, Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, Tamale Technical University, Tamale, Ghana
  2. 2. Department of Research Methodology and Data Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Center for Air Pollution Research (CAPR), Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  5. 5. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
  6. 6. Department of Research, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale, Ghana
  7. 7. Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: BMJ Open Published:2022


Abstract

Objective Malaria remains endemic in most of sub-Saharan Africa and has a negative impact among pregnant women, resulting in morbidity and poor birth outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between malaria and adverse birth outcomes among prenatal women in the Northern Region of Ghana. Design This is a prospective cohort study of singleton pregnancies at 28 weeks of gestational age and above recruited between July 2018 and May 2019 from four public hospitals in the Northern Region of Ghana. Outcome measures Low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth and perinatal death. Results A total of 1323 pregnant women completed the study out of the 1626 recruited, with an average age of 27.3±5.2 years. The incidence of malaria in this population was 9.5% (95% CI 7.9 to 11.1). After adjusting for newborn admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit, parity, maternal age and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, women who were exposed to malaria during the third trimester of pregnancy had 2.02 times (95% CI 1.36 to 2.99) higher odds of premature delivery. Furthermore, they had 2.06 times (95% CI 1.09 to 3.93) higher chance of giving birth to babies with LBW, irrespective of their socioeconomic status. With an OR of 1.02 (95% CI 0.26 to 4.01), there was no difference in perinatal mortality between pregnant women with malaria and those without malaria after adjusting for caesarean section. Conclusion This study confirms that prenatal malaria increases the odds of both preterm and LBW deliveries. A decisive policy to eradicate or minimise perinatal malaria is needed to contribute to the prevention of LBW and adverse pregnancy outcomes. ©