Minimal Impact by Antenatal Subpatent Plasmodium falciparum Infections on Delivery Outcomes in Malawian Women: A Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT: Antenatal malaria screening with a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and treatment only of women with positive RDT findings may potentially prevent low birth weight resulting from malaria. The consequences of subpatent antenatal infections below the detection limit of RDTs are incompletely understood. In Malawi, pregnant women of any gravidity status were tested at each antenatal visit for Plasmodium falciparum, using an RDT and polymerase chain reaction analysis, and were followed until delivery. Associations between antenatal infections and delivery outcomes were assessed with Poisson regression or analysis of variance. Compared with women with no detected antenatal P. falciparum infection, women with positive RDT findings delivered babies with a lower mean birth weight (2960 vs 2867 g; mean d

SUBMITTER: Taylor SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5853861 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature