Risk of malaria in young children after periconceptional iron supplementation

Area of Science:

• Maternal and Child Health
• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Infectious Disease Research

Background:

• Iron deficiency anemia is a significant global health issue, particularly affecting pregnant women and young children.
• Periconceptional supplementation aims to improve maternal iron status before and during early pregnancy.
• The impact of maternal iron supplementation on offspring malaria risk and iron status requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if offspring of young mothers receiving periconceptional iron supplementation have an increased risk of malaria.
• To assess child iron biomarkers, nutritional status, anemia, and malaria outcomes in relation to maternal supplementation.
• To evaluate antenatal iron biomarkers, preterm birth, fetal growth, and placental pathology.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial in Burkina Faso assessed child safety and outcomes.
• Child iron biomarkers, nutritional status, anemia, and malaria prevalence were measured.
• Maternal iron biomarkers, placental pathology, gestational age, and fetal growth were assessed.

Main Results:

• Infant iron biomarkers, anemia, and malaria outcomes did not differ between trial arms.
• Factors associated with childhood parasitaemia included third trimester C-reactive protein, active placental malaria, and child body iron stores.
• Chorioamnionitis was associated with a reduced risk of child parasitaemia.

Conclusions:

• Periconceptional iron supplementation of young women did not alter their children's body iron stores.
• Higher child body iron stores and placental malaria increased the risk of childhood parasitaemia.
• Maternal iron supplementation did not appear to influence offspring malaria risk or iron status in this cohort.