Effects of uncomplicated malaria parasitaemia on selected haematological parameters and phagocytes of children living in Port Harcourt, Southern Nigeria

This cross-sectional and case control study evaluated the effects of malaria parasites on selected haematological parameters of children living in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A total of 352 participants were randomly recruited and their blood samples collected. Malaria diagnosis and estimation of haematological parameters were determined using standard parasitological and haematological methods respectively. Sociodemographics of participants showed that 109 (31%) of female children and 106 (30%) of male children were infected with malaria parasites. Overall prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum found was 215(61%). The study found a statistically significant difference in the mean values of packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (Hb), and white blood cell count (WBC) of Plasmodium parasitized children compared with their matched controls: PCV(34.83±2.76% versus 36.06±1.41%; P=0.001); Hb(11.58±0.92g/dL versus 11.98±0.46g/dL; P=0.001); WBC (8.96±4.56(x109/L) versus 7.33±1.39(x109/L); P=0.001).While the mean values of lymphocyte counts were relatively reduced in malaria infected children than their control participants (41.66±13.57(x109/L) versus 42.95±8.36(x109/L); P=0.27). A weak relationship was found to exist between density of parasitaemia and ages of children infected with malaria parasites (R2=0.0093; P=0.1584). Though more children had low parasitaemia (1-999 parasites/μL), followed with high parasitaemia (>10,000 parasites/μL), while few had moderate parasitaemia (1000-9999 parasites/μL). There was no case of complication with respect to WHO standard which described complicated or severe anaemia in malaria as haemoglobin (Hb) of < 5g/dl or packed cell volume (PCV) of < 15% with parasitemia of > 250,000 parasites/μL. Malaria parasites affect outcomes of some haematological parameters. We recommend that all febrile children in our study area should be tested for malaria parasites in conjunction with estimation of their full blood count for effective malaria diagnosis and treatment particularly in sub patent cases.