Malaria N° 4 - Subject N° 11

FEVER DURING CHILDBIRTH AND CONGENITAL MALARIA IN URBAN AREAS WITHIN THE CAMEROUN: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PRESENTATION
Tietche, D.E. Kam Kinyock, A. Same Ekobo, M. Wamba Temgoua & E. Mbonda

SUMMARY
We studied thick films from 2 groups of women in labour taken from a hyperendemic malarial zone in Camerouns: 63 women were febrile and 79 afebrile; blood was also taken from the new-born infant. Thick films were positive for Plasmodium falciparum in 8 febrile mothers (12.70 %) and in 4 afebrile mothers (5.06 %). Four neonates with febrile mothers had a positive thick film (6.35 %) versus 3 from afebril mother (3.80 %). Out of a total of 12 parasitised mothers in the two groups, 4 neonates had a positive thick film (33.33 %), versus 3 out of 130 mothers without evidence of parasitaemia (12.31 %). i.e. an odds ratio of 21.17 (2.88 < OR < 161.48). Maternal fever did not significantly influence positive neonatal parasitaemia.

KEY-WORDS: Labour, Fever, Congenital malaria