Malaria in pregnancy in Nigeria: Analysis of characteristics of women attending antenatal care in a tertiary facility

Abstract

Malaria in pregnancy poses a very serious risk to both the woman and her unborn child. Many factors may moderate the  occurrence of malaria. This study seeks to assess the intrinsic factors associated with malaria in pregnancy.This was a  retrospective study of 880 women who attended antenatal clinic at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria. Bivariate analysis was used to determine association between demographic and hematologic characteristics, and the occurrence of malaria parasitaemia. The prevalence of Malaria parasitaemia was 49.8%. Pregnant women less than 20 years of age, nulliparous women, those with blood group A and Rhesus negative status had increased risk of malaria in pregnancy. Malaria control measures that target these groups of women would have the desired maximum impact.

Keywords: Malaria, Parasitaemia, Pregnancy, Risk factors