Does anthropometric status at 6 months predict the over-dispersion of malaria infections in children aged 6-18 months? A prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In malaria-endemic settings, a small proportion of children suffer repeated malaria infections, contributing to most of the malaria cases, yet underlying factors are not fully understood. This study was aimed to determine whether undernutrition predicts this over-dispersion of malaria infections in children aged 6-18 months in settings of high malaria and undernutrition prevalence.

Methods

Prospective cohort study, conducted in Mangochi, Malawi. Six-months-old infants were enrolled and had length-for-age z-scores (LAZ), weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ), and weight-for-length z-scores (WLZ) assessed. Data were collected for 'presumed', clinical, and rapid diagnostic test (RDT)-confirmed malaria until 18 months. Malaria microscopy was done at 6 and 18 months. Negative

SUBMITTER: Bendabenda J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6477714 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature