Congenital and neonatal malaria in a rural Kenyan district hospital: An eight-year analysis

Malaria Journal

Research

Michael K Mwaniki¹  Florence N Mturi¹  Alison W Talbert¹  James A Berkley²  Charles R Newton³  Kevin Marsh⁴  Piet Kager⁵ 

[1] Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Box 230, Kilifi, Kenya;Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Box 230, Kilifi, Kenya;Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, OX3 7LJ, Oxford, UK;Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Box 230, Kilifi, Kenya;Clinical Research Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK;Neurosciences Unit, Institute of Child Health, WC1N 2AP, London, UK;Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Box 230, Kilifi, Kenya;Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK;Department of Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine and AIDS, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;

关键词: Malaria;    Cerebral Malaria;    Parasite Density;    Entomological Inoculation Rate;    Demographic Surveillance System;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1475-2875-9-313

 received in 2010-07-08, accepted in 2010-11-06,  发布年份 2010

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundMalaria remains a significant burden in sub-Saharan Africa. However, data on burden of congenital and neonatal malaria is scarce and contradictory, with some recent studies reporting a high burden. Using prospectively collected data on neonatal admissions to a rural district hospital in a region of stable malaria endemicity in Kenya, the prevalence of congenital and neonatal malaria was described.MethodsFrom 1st January 2002 to 31st December 2009, admission and discharge information on all neonates admitted to Kilifi District Hospital was collected. At admission, blood was also drawn for routine investigations, which included a full blood count, blood culture and blood slide for malaria parasites.ResultsOf the 5,114 neonates admitted during the eight-year surveillance period, blood slide for malaria parasites was performed in 4,790 (93.7%). 18 (0.35%) neonates with Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasitaemia, of whom 11 were admitted within the first week of life and thus classified as congenital parasitaemia, were identified. 7/18 (39%) had fever. Parasite densities were low, ≤50 per μl in 14 cases. The presence of parasitaemia was associated with low haemoglobin (Hb) of <10 g/dl (χ2 10.9 P = 0.001). The case fatality rate of those with and without parasitaemia was similar. Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia was identified as the cause of symptoms in four neonates.ConclusionCongenital and neonatal malaria are rare in this malaria endemic region. Performing a blood slide for malaria parasites among sick neonates in malaria endemic regions is advisable. This study does not support routine treatment with anti-malarial drugs among admitted neonates with or without fever even in a malaria endemic region.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Mwaniki et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010