Details:

Alternative Title:
Malar J
Personal Author:
Ahmed, Rukhsana ; Singh, Neeru ; ter Kuile, Feiko O ; Bharti, Praveen K ; Singh, Pushpendra P ; ... More +
Ahmed, Rukhsana ; Singh, Neeru ; ter Kuile, Feiko O ; Bharti, Praveen K ; Singh, Pushpendra P ; Desai, Meghna ; Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam ; Terlouw, Dianne J Less -
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.


Subjects:
[+]
Birth Weight Gestational Age Haemoglobin Histopathology Malaria Placenta Pregnancy Research
Source:
Malar J. 2014; 13:232.
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
India
Collection(s):
CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:f0e04773a76186e9b4c5a0ad4d675926c4628510ff1ccbaa22a3e36e6bcc0d2d
Download URL:
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/23946/cdc_23946_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 	1475-2875-13-232.nxml	txt
  	license.txt	txt

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