Obstetric and Haematological Determinants of Malaria Parasitaemia among Pregnant Women in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Malaria during pregnancy has serious health consequences, and poses substantial risk to the mother, her fetus, and the new born. This study was carried out to assess the relationships between malaria parasitaemia and some obstetric, haematological and clinical characteristics of pregnant women of various parities in the study area, with the hope to better understanding the local malaria situation. The laboratory techniques employed were: preparation of thick and thin blood smears, by Giemsa staining, for malaria parasite screening; measurement of blood haemoglobin, for detection of anaemia by Cyanmethaemoglobin method; alkaline pH electrophoresis of haemoglobin, for detection of haemoglobin variance. Parity was found to be significantly associated with malarial infection, with high prevalence seen in nulliparous and primiparous women, and the rate of infection decreasing with increasing parity. Likewise the sickle cell trait was found to influence the prevalence of malaria infection, with pregnant women who had the sickle cell condition (Hb SS) and those with normal haemoglobin (Hb AA) being more at risk for malaria infection than those individuals with the sickle cell trait (Hb AS and SC). A strong association was also found between anaemia and malaria parasitaemia, with individuals that were anaemic being more infected than those that were not anaemic. However, history of fever and previous chemoprophylaxis were not found to have any impact on the rate of malaria infection. Health education programs on the management of malaria in pregnancy should be intensified.