Study on Malaria and Haemoglobin Interaction in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Comparative observational study was carried out on the prevalence of malaria among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in General Hospital, Bori (GHB) and Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Port Harcourt (BMSH).  Four hundred women were involved in this study of which two hundred per study location. Pregnant women with pyrexia of unknown origin, HIV and those on anti malarial drugs were excluded. Consents were obtained from participants and confidentiality upheld.  Ethical approval was obtained from the ministry of health and from the selected health facilities. Sample collection was performed according to the recommended reference guideline for phlebotomy. Collected samples were used to assay for Haemoglobin using cyanomethamoglobin method, and malaria parasite using the Giemsa staining technique.  Statistical analysis was performed for percentage, frequency, for descriptive statistics and inferences deduced at p-value=0.05. All statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Questionnaires were issued to obtain their demographic data.  The prevalence of malaria was high among pregnant women with haemoglobin level 8.0–10.9g/dl from BMSH (17.9%) and GHB (35.9%).  Infection was not dependent on locality at P-value < 0.05. Awareness of  malaria in pregnancy should be supported. Anaemia in pregnancy should be treated and comorbidity of malaria and anaemia in pregnancy should be handled with urgency.