TY  - EJOU
AU  - Tahita, T. Marc Christian
AU  - Kabore, K. Bérenger
AU  - Rouamba, R. Toussaint
AU  - Ilboudo, I. Hamidou
AU  - Lompo, L. Palpouguini
AU  - Sougue, S. Melika Minata Helkanan Témayé
AU  - Zoma, Z. Nadège
AU  - Kazienga, K. Adama
AU  - Kain, K. Paul Dantola
AU  - Bassat, B. Quique
AU  - Tinto, T. Halidou
TI  - Risk factors associated with Plasmodium falciparum infections among pregnant women attending their first antenatal care visit in Burkina Faso
T2  - African Journal of Parasitology, Mycology and Entomology

PY  - 2024
VL  - 2
IS  - 1
SN  - 1987-1473

AB  - Background: Malaria during pregnancy has adverse effects on both mothers and their offspring. To tackle this, the WHO proposed rapid case management and preventive measures delivered through ANC channels. However, a large proportion of pregnant women remain unprotected due to no or late attendance. In this context, our study aimed to assess the prevalence of malaria and associated risk factors in pregnant women receiving ANC for the first time. Methods: A total of 418 pregnant women who attended an ANC clinic in Nanoro, Burkina Faso were recruited. Venous blood (2 mL) was collected for study-associated investigations. Malaria microscopy was used as gold standard and hemoglobin was measured using Hemocue®. Data analysis was performed using R Studio interface version 4.3.1. Results: The overall malaria prevalence was 20.4% (95% CI 18.5–22.4%). The geometric mean of parasite density was 442 parasites/μL (95% CI 380–515). In the univariate analysis, lower educational level, younger age, and lower parity were significant risk factors for malaria, while older age (≥25 years, OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.41–0.79) and multiparity (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.33–0.74) were associated with a reduced risk of malaria parasitemia. Only 32/118 (27.1%) of the infections were associated with overt clinical symptoms such as fever. The prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin < 11.0 g/dL) was 60.8%. Malaria was significantly associated with increased odds of developing anemia. Conclusion: One out of five pregnant women attending their first ANC clinic visit in this high-transmission area had Plasmodium falciparum infection. Most infections were below 1000 asexual stage parasites/µL, without signs and symptoms suggestive of malaria, but were associated with anemia. There is a need to increase early ANC clinic attendance so mothers fully benefit from the existing malaria prevention strategies and to prevent unfavorable maternal and fetal birth outcomes in this population.
KW  - malaria in pregnancy
KW  - ANC visit
KW  - signs and symptoms
KW  - anemia
KW  - risk factors
KW  - Burkina Faso
DO  - 10.35995/ajpme02020015