Associations between malaria in pregnancy and neonatal neurological outcomes

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.07.037
• Publication Date: 2021-07-18T06:53:03Z
• Authors: Harriet L.S. Lawford; Mercy A. Nuamah; Helen G. Liley; Alison Griffin; Cecilia E. Lekpor; Felix Botchway; Samuel A. Oppong; Ali Samba; Ebenezer V. Badoe; Sailesh Kumar; Anne CC Lee; Richard K. Gyasi; Andrew A. Adjei; Samudragupta Bora
• Keywords: Cerebral Malaria

To compare neurological functioning of neonates born to mothers with and without malaria in pregnancy.Pregnant women presenting at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana were recruited into this prospective observational study. Malaria exposure was determined by clinically documented antenatal infection; parasitemia maternal, placental, or umbilical cord blood; placental histology. Neurological assessed using the Hammersmith Neonatal Examination within 48 hours birth. Performance classified as "optimal" "suboptimal" subdomain overall.Between November 21, 2018 February 10, 2019, a total 211 term-born neonates, whom 27 (13%) exposed pregnancy, included. In reflexes subdomain, tended score lower (adjusted mean difference -0.34, 95% confidence interval -0.70 0.03), an increased risk ratio 1.63, 1.09 2.44) suboptimal performance compared unexposed neonates. There no significant between-group differences scores optimality classification for remaining subdomains overall.Malaria-exposed had similar relative confined suggesting potential underlying immaturity injury. Further studies are needed confirm these findings determine significance pregnancy on long-term outcomes.