Intestinal helminthes infestation in relation to some haematological parameters among pregnant women attending antenantal clinics in Ekpoma,

Abstract

This study assessedintestinal helminthes infection in relation to some haematological parameters among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ekpoma, Southern Nigeria, over a period of 3 months. Two hundred and thirty (230) subjects comprising of 180 pregnant women and 50 controls (non-pregnant women) were examined.Their stool samples were examined using direct saline and iodine preparation, while the blood samples were analyzed for full blood count (Packed Cell Volume, Heamoglobin concentration, White Blood Cell count and Differential White Blood Cell count). Twenty-three (23; 10%) of the total examined subjects were infected with intestinal parasites, 15 (8.3%) out of the 180 pregnant women were infected, while 8 (16%) of the non-pregnant women were infected with intestinal helminthes. Ascaris lumbricoides was the only intestinal helminth seen in this study and pregnant women in the first trimester were mostly infected with intestinal helminthes. The mean and standard deviation of Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and total white blood cells count in the infected and non-infected pregnant women was 33.00 + 26 and 34.17 + 2.86 and 5.3 + 0.97 (10⁹/L) and 9.7 + 0.97 (10⁹L) respectively. It was observed that there was a significant difference in the total white blood cell values and eosinophil count between intestinal helminthes infected pregnant women and those that were not infected. These findings show that total white blood cell values and eosinophil count was more elevated in those that were infected than those that were not infected.

Key words: Pregnant, women, intestinal, infection, helminth