ReviewMalaria journal2021
The impact of malaria during pregnancy on low birth weight in East-Africa: a topical review.
Review in Malaria journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence, predictors and adverse perinatal outcomes of placental malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Pooled it
- Utilization of insecticide-treated nets among pregnant women in East Africa: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- Malaria and Helminthic Co-Infection during Pregnancy in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Evaluation of microscopy and first response™ malaria Ag PAN/Pf RDT compared to qPCR and hemoglobin levels in pregnant women at delivery in Busia County, Western Kenya.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Mapping inequity: spatial clustering of malaria in pregnancy in the Amhara region, Northwest Ethiopia (2018-2024).BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Effect mechanisms of different malaria chemoprevention regimens in pregnancy on infant growth outcomes: causal mediation analysis of a randomized controlled trial.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Article
- Community and health workers' perspective on impacts of climate change on reproductive, maternal, and child health outcomes in Kilwa district council, Tanzania: a qualitative study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Malaria signs, symptoms, prevention knowledge and its associated factors among rural Ethiopians.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Malaria prophylaxis stock-outs and birth- and maternal outcomes in Zimbabwe.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Anticoagulant therapy and altered tissue factor expression protect against experimental placental and cerebral malaria.PLoS pathogens · 2025Article
- [Prenatal Malaria Care And Immediate Neonatal Outcome In The Do Health District, Burkina Faso, 2022].Le Mali medical · 2025Article
- Malaria and associated factors among pregnant women in Sekyere East District Ghana: a cross-sectional survey.The Pan African medical journal · 2025Article
- Sex of household head and trends in uptake of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine intermittent preventive treatment for malaria during pregnancy: insights from secondary data in sub-Saharan Africa.Discover social science and health · 2025Article
- Unveiling the pathways: identifying the multifaceted determinants of low birth weight among neonates in low-income countries: a case-control study.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Adverse pregnancy outcomes in maternal malarial infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.New microbes and new infections · 2024Review
- Malaria diagnosis challenges andPathogens and global health · 2024Article
- The prevalence of low birth weight and its associated maternal factors among women of reproductive age who gave birth to live babies within five years preceding the survey in Tanzania: an analysis of data from the 2015-16 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicators Survey.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Predictors of insecticide-treated bed nets use among pregnant women in Sierra Leone: evidence from the 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic Health Survey.Malaria journal · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundGlobally, approximately 15% of all babies are born with low birth weight (< 2.5 kg) and ≥ 90% of them are born in low- and middle-income countries. Malaria infection in pregnancy remains a public health concern as it can affect both the mother and the newborn. Notably, it increases the risk of newborns with low birth weight. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends intermittent preventive treatment with ≥ 3 doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) during pregnancy in areas with moderate to high malaria transmission in Africa. The aim of this topical review is to give an overview of the impact of malaria infection during pregnancy on low birth weight, with focus on East Africa where malaria is endemic.
methodsEleven studies were selected according to a predefined set of criteria.
resultsThree studies showed a significant reduction in the prevalence of low birth weight with intermittent preventive treatment with SP, whereas four studies found no significant impact of such treatment on low birth weight. The number of SP doses and compliance to this treatment may in part explain these discrepancies. Pregnant women with frequent symptomatic malaria infection had significantly higher risk of placental malaria.
conclusionThe WHO recommendation of ≥ 3 doses of intermittent preventive treatment with SP during pregnancy seem effective in preventing low birth weight, but treatment compliance is a challenge. Malaria prophylaxis is important during pregnancy, especially in endemic areas of malaria, such as East Africa.
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