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Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences
Physiological Society of Nigeria
ISSN: 0794-859X
Vol. 26, No. 2, 2011, pp. 179-183
Bioline Code: np11027
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge

Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences, Vol. 26, No. 2, 2011, pp. 179-183

 en Predictors of asymptomatic malaria in pregnancy
Balogun, S.T.; Adeyanju, O.A.; Adedeji, A.A. & Fehintola, F.A.

Abstract

Summary: A number of studies have described malaria parasitaemia in pregnancy as mostly an asymptomatic condition, however information about predictors of asymptomatic malaria is largely lacking. We investigated the prevalence of symptoms and potential predictors of asymptomatic malaria in pregnant women attending Ante-Natal Clinic (ANC) of two public maternity hospitals in Ibadan, Southwest-Nigeria. Demographic data, history of previous and present pregnancy were obtained from the subjects and blood smears were examined for malaria diagnosis by light microscopy. Seventy – seven parasitaemic pregnant women attending antenatal clinic were evaluated for presence or absence of symptoms that may be associated with malaria. Thirty-seven women (48%) were asymptomatic whereas 40 (52%) presented with symptoms such as weakness, headache and general body ache and fever. Parasite density was significantly higher in symptomatic patients (P = 0.042), while asymptomatic patients had low level parasitaemia but significantly higher gametocyte carriage (P = 0.035). In conclusion, parasitaemic pregnant women resident in hyper- or holo-endemic malaria region are likely to be symptomatic with increasing density of the parasitaemia.

Keywords
Malaria; Pregnancy; Asymptomatic; Parasitaemia; Women

 
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