Efficacy of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine on placental parasitemia in pregnant women in midwestern Nigeria
Aziken, M.E.; Akubuo, K.K.; Gharoro, E.P.
International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics the Official Organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 112(1): 30-33
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 0020-7292 PMID: 20947080 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.07.027Document Number: 217793
To assess the effect of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) on placental parasitemia and maternal and perinatal outcome. We compared placental malaria parasitemia during pregnancy and pregnancy outcome in 2 groups of women receiving antenatal care at University of Benin Teaching Hospital. One group was prophylactically treated with IPT-SP and the other was not treated. The parasitemia rates for peripheral, placental, and cord blood were 11.9%, 11.4%, and 2.7% in the IPT-SP group (n=370) and 19.1%, 22.6%, and 6.2% in the control group (n=371) (P=0.006, P=0.002, and P=0.02, respectively). The treatment reduced the odds of placental parasitemia by 37% (OR 0.63; 95% CI, 0.48-0.81). Peripheral (P=0.002) and placental (P=0.001) parasitemia were significantly reduced in the subgroup of women who took 2 or 3 doses of SP. Fewer women (16.2%) in the IPT-SP group than the control group (23.7%) had symptomatic malaria. Anemia at delivery was significantly lower in the IPT-SP group (10.8 vs 1.6%). The risks of abortion, preterm delivery, and low birth weight were also significantly lower in the IPT-SP group. IPT-SP is effective in preventing placental parasitemia, and reduces rates of malaria, maternal anemia, abortion, preterm delivery and low birth weight among pregnant women.
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