Prevalence of Malaria and Associated Factors among Delivering Mothers in Northwest Ethiopia

Background. Malaria is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality especially in pregnant women and under-five-year-old children. However, data on the prevalence among delivering mothers, potential fetal transmission, and associated birth outcomes is lacking in Ethiopia. Objective. To assess the prevalence of Plasmodium infection from peripheral, placental, and cord blood samples among delivering mothers in Kuch health center, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 218 delivering mothers from February to May 2021 in Kuch health center. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and clinical and obstetric history of mothers were collected using a structured questionnaire. Giemsa stained blood films from maternal capillary and placental and umbilical cord blood were examined for plasmodium infection. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23 software package. Results. The prevalence of maternal, placental, and umbilical cord malaria was 6.4% (14/218), 2.3% (5/218), and 0.5% (1/218), respectively. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax accounted 3.7% (8/218) and 2.8% (6/218), respectively, in maternal peripheral blood but only Plasmodium falciparum was detected in placental and umbilical cord blood samples. Maternal malaria had significant association with primigravida ( χ 2 = 12.611 , p = 0.002 ) and low birth weight ( χ 2 = 8.381 , p = 0.004 ). Placental malaria was also significantly associated with low birth weight ( χ 2 = 32.255 , p ≤ 0.001 ). Conclusion. The prevalence of malaria among delivering mothers was considerable. Maternal peripheral malaria had a significant association with gravidity and birth weight. Placental and umbilical cord malaria also had a significant association with birth weight. Pregnant mothers should be examined for malaria and receive appropriate treatment to prevent adverse birth outcomes.

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Iron stores at birth in a full-term normal birth weight birth cohort with a low level of inflammation

Bioscience Reports ◽

10.1042/bsr20202853 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 40 (12) ◽

Author(s):

Joy Y. Zhang ◽

Jing Wang ◽

Qinsheng Lu ◽

Meizhen Tan ◽

Ru Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Cord Blood ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Umbilical Cord ◽

Serum Ferritin ◽

Umbilical Cord Blood ◽

Normal Birth Weight ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Iron Stores ◽

Normal Birth

Abstract Iron stores at birth are essential to meet iron needs during the first 4–6 months of life. The present study aimed to investigate iron stores in normal birth weight, healthy, term neonates. Umbilical cord blood samples were collected from apparently normal singleton vaginal deliveries (n=854). Subjects were screened and excluded if C-reactive protein (CRP) > 5 mg/l or α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) > 1 g/l, preterm (<37 complete weeks), term < 2500g or term > 4000g. In total, 762 samples were included in the study. Serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), hepcidin, and erythropoietin (EPO) were measured in umbilical cord blood samples; total body iron (TBI) (mg/kg) was calculated using sTfR and ferritin concentrations. A total of 19.8% newborns were iron deficient (ferritin 35 μg/l) and an additional 46.6% had insufficient iron stores (ferritin < 76 μg/l). There was a positive association between serum ferritin and sTfR, hepcidin, and EPO. Gestational age was positively associated with ferritin, sTfR, EPO, and hepcidin. In conclusion, we demonstrate a high prevalence of insufficient iron stores in a Chinese birth cohort. The value of cord sTfR and TBI in the assessment of iron status in the newborn is questionable, and reference ranges need to be established.

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Is low birth weight a risk indicator for congenital cytomegalovirus infection?

The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries ◽

10.3855/jidc.539 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 4 (01) ◽

pp. 044-047 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zakyieh Al-Hareth ◽

Fawza Monem ◽

Nagwa Abdel Megiud

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Low Birth Weight ◽

Cord Blood ◽

Umbilical Cord ◽

Umbilical Cord Blood ◽

Head Circumference ◽

Cytomegalovirus Infection ◽

Congenital Infection ◽

Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection ◽

Congenital Cytomegalovirus

Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus infection is currently the leading cause of congenital infection in 0.2-2.2% of live births worldwide leading to variable serious sequalae. The aim of the study was to determine if low birth weight is an indicator of CMV congenital infection evidenced by detecting CMV-DNA in umbilical cord blood at the time of delivery. Methodology: CMV-IgG and IgM antibodies and CMV-DNAemia were assessed in umbilical cord blood of two hundreds newborns, one hundred of whom had birth weight ≤ 2700 gram and/or head circumference ≤ 32 cm. Results: CMV-IgM was not detected, while CMV-IgG was positive in 80-90% of the two hundreds tested newborns. CMV-DNA was detected in four out of the 200 newborns. One of them was over the adopted weight limit (> 2700 gram). Conclusions: CMV-IgM and IgG antibodies assessment was not a potential discriminative test to identify congenitally infected newborns. In addition, low birth weight and small head circumference at birth failed to predict congenital CMV infection. CMV-DNA detection in umbilical cord blood at the time of delivery using real-time PCR of all newborns is recommended as decisive, rapid and non-invasive test.

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