Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 29, 2026
Measuring Naturally Acquired Phagocytosis-Inducing Antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum Parasites by a Flow Cytometry-Based Assay
Published on: August 6, 2020
Placental and neonatal outcome in maternal malaria
Jyoti Singh1, Dharmendra Soni, Devendra Mishra
1Department of Pediatrics, Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Shyam Shah Medical College, Rewa, MP. India. Correspondence to: Dr HP Singh, Gandhi Memorial Hospital, and Shyam Shah Medical College, Rewa, MP. India. drhpsingh1@rediffmail.com.
Objective:
Primary: To determine the incidence of congenital malaria in a cohort of pregnant women in a hyper-endemic area of central India. Secondary: (1) To find out the placental weight and placental malaria positivity, and to assess fetal and neonatal outcome in terms of survival, mean hemoglobin and mean birth weight.
Design:
Prospective observational study.
Setting:
Maternity and neonatal ward of a tertiary level hospital attached to a medical college located in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Participants:
Near term and term pregnant women admitted in the maternity ward with a singleton pregnancy, whose neonates were available for examination till at least 6 hours after birth.
Methods:
Thick and thin blood smear were examined for malarial parasites from mothers prior to delivery. Based on the results of peripheral smear they were divided into 'exposed group' (peripheral smear positive for malaria parasite) and unexposed group' (smear negative for malaria parasite). These groups were then followed prospectively till delivery and subsequently till the mother and the neonates were discharged from the hospital.
Outcome Variables:
Primary: Presence of asexual parasite in neonate. Secondary: Placental weight, presence of asexual malarial parasite in placenta, still births, early neonatal deaths, mean birth weight and mean hemoglobin.
Results:
Seventy-two (35.5%) of 203 blood smears of near term and term pregnant women were found positive for malaria parasite (60 P. vivax and 12 P. falciparum); rest 131 comprised the unexposed group. Six (2.95%) neonates had parasitemia (4 P. vivax and 2 P. falciparum). Of the 203 smears made from placental blood, 24 (11.8%) were positive for malaria parasite. The mean (SD) birth weight [2300 (472) g vs 2430 (322) g; P=0.98], proportion of preterm babies (6.9% vs 8.4%, P=0.71), incidence of still birth (4.2% vs 3.0%, P=1.0) and early neonatal death (2.8% vs 3.0%, P=1.0) were not significantly different between the exposed and unexposed group.
Conclusions:
The incidence of congenital malaria is low despite high maternal smear positivity for malaria.
More Related Videos
07:36Modeling Encephalopathy of Prematurity Using Prenatal Hypoxia-ischemia with Intra-amniotic Lipopolysaccharide in Rats
Published on: November 20, 2015
05:22Ex vivo Culture of Human Placental Explants for the Study of Viral Transmission Across the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: December 30, 2025
