Efficacy of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine on placental parasitemia in pregnant women in midwestern Nigeria.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the effect of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) on placental parasitemia and maternal and perinatal outcome.

METHODS:

We compared placental malaria parasitemia during pregnancy and pregnancy outcome in 2 groups of women receiving antenatal care at University of Benin Teaching Hospital. One group was prophylactically treated with IPT-SP and the other was not treated.

RESULTS:

The parasitemia rates for peripheral, placental, and cord blood were 11.9%, 11.4%, and 2.7% in the IPT-SP group (n=370) and 19.1%, 22.6%, and 6.2% in the control group (n=371) (P=0.006, P=0.002, and P=0.02, respectively). The treatment reduced the odds of placental parasitemia by 37% (OR 0.63; 95% CI, 0.48-0.81). Peripheral (P=0.002) and placental (P=0.001) parasitemia were significantly reduced in the subgroup of women who took 2 or 3 doses of SP. Fewer women (16.2%) in the IPT-SP group than the control group (23.7%) had symptomatic malaria. Anemia at delivery was significantly lower in the IPT-SP group (10.8 vs 1.6%). The risks of abortion, preterm delivery, and low birth weight were also significantly lower in the IPT-SP group.

CONCLUSION:

IPT-SP is effective in preventing placental parasitemia, and reduces rates of malaria, maternal anemia, abortion, preterm delivery and low birth weight among pregnant women.

• Authors: Michael E Aziken, Kenneth K Akubuo, Etedafe P Gharoro
• Journal: International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (Int J Gynaecol Obstet) Vol. 112 Issue 1 Pg. 30-3 (Jan 2011) ISSN: 1879-3479 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20947080 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antimalarials
• Drug Combinations
• fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination
• Sulfadoxine
• Pyrimethamine

Topics

• Adult
• Anemia (epidemiology)
• Antimalarials (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Cohort Studies
• Drug Combinations
• Female
• Humans
• Infant, Low Birth Weight
• Infant, Newborn
• Middle Aged
• Nigeria (epidemiology)
• Parasitemia (epidemiology, parasitology, prevention & control)
• Placenta Diseases (parasitology, prevention & control)
• Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic (prevention & control)
• Pregnancy Outcome
• Premature Birth (epidemiology)
• Prospective Studies
• Pyrimethamine (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Sulfadoxine (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Young Adult