Risk factors for placental malaria, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine doses, and birth outcomes in a rural to urban prospective cohort study on the Bandiagara Escarpment and Bamako, Mali

A longitudinal cohort study on the Bandiagara Escarpment and Bamako, Mali, reveals that women who received no doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) during pregnancy experienced significantly worse birth outcomes compared to those who received three or more doses. These women were also younger and lacked primary school education, highlighting a critical gap in antenatal care access. The study found that pregnancies in urban areas, higher maternal education levels, births during the rainy season, and receiving ≥3 SP doses reduced the odds of placental malaria (PM). Severe PM infections were associated with decreased birth weight, length, and placental weight. The research used histological analysis of 317 placental samples collected from 249 mothers between 2011-2019 to assess PM infection stages and parasite density, employing generalized estimating equations for statistical modeling.

Vincenz, C., Dolo, Z., Saye, S., Lovett, J. L., & Strassmann, B. I. (2022). Risk factors for placental malaria, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine doses, and birth outcomes in a rural to urban prospective cohort study on the Bandiagara Escarpment and Bamako, Mali. Malaria Journal, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04125-6