The effect of maternal, umbilical cord and placental malaria parasitaemia on the birthweight of newborns from South-western Cameroon

Aim: The impact of maternal, umbilical cord and placental malaria parasitaemia on the incidence of low birthweight was investigated in pregnant women reporting for delivery at the Mutengene Maternity Centre, Fako Division, South West Province, Cameroon. Methods: The malaria parasitaemia status of 770 umbilical cords, parturient women and placental impression smears were determined by light microscopy using blood samples collected between June 1999 and September 2001. The birthweights (BW) of the newborns were recorded soon after delivery. Results: The results show that malaria parasites were present in the blood samples of 57 out of 730 (7.8%), 233/711 (32.8%) and 248/735 (33.7%) cord, maternal and placental biopsies respectively. Low birthweight (LBW) was recorded in 72 (9.6%) newborns, and the incidence was higher in primiparae. Newborns of mothers who had malaria parasites in their peripheral blood (12.4%) had a higher incidence (p=0.014) of LBW when compared with malaria parasite-free mothers (6.8%). Similarly, neonates born from malaria-positive placentas (13.5%) had a significantly higher incidence of LBW (p=0.006) than those from parasite-negative placentas (6.8%). Furthermore, newborns of malaria parasite-positive mothers, umbilical cords, placentas and primiparae had lower mean birthweight than malaria-negative mothers, placentas, umbilical cords and multiparae. Conclusion: We suggest that parity and maternal and placental malaria parasitaemia at delivery have an important negative impact on birthweight, especially in first pregnancies. This observation emphasizes the need for appropriate aggressive intervention strategies such as the use of insecticide-treated bed nets or intermittent preventive treatment to control malaria in pregnancy in the study area.