ArticleResearch square2025
Maternal and household risk factors for malaria in pregnancy and low birthweight: a prospective cohort study from Uganda.
Article in Research square, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
- Updated by
Authors and funding
22 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Malaria is a leading cause of illness and death in pregnant women and newborns. In 2023, an estimated 12.4 million pregnant women were infected with malaria parasites, resulting in 351,000 low birth weight deliveries. Maternal and household factors associated with malaria in pregnancy and low birth weight were investigated in a high-transmission area of Uganda. Methods: Data come from a randomized controlled trial of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) conducted from December 2020 to July 2024 in Busia District. Maternal and household data were collected using structured questionnaires. Women were followed through delivery including monthly assessment of microscopic parasitemia, assessment of placental malaria by histopathology, and birth weight. Associations between maternal and household factors were assessed: 1) parasitaemia at enrolment, 2) parasitaemia during pregnancy after starting IPTp, 3) high-grade placental malaria, and 4) low birth weight (< 2500gm). Results: Of 2,757 women enrolled, 2,728 (98.9%) had a household survey completed and were included in study. Overall, 38.1% had parasitemia at enrolment, 6.5% had parasitemia following initiation of IPTp, 6.4% had high-grade placental malaria, and 6.8% of live births had low birth weight. Parasitemia at enrolment was more common in those 16-21 years of age (RR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.31-1.99 p < 0.001), primigravida (RR = 1.86, 95% CI 1.57-2.21, p < 0.001)), and living in traditional houses (RR-1.17 95% CI 1.06-1.30, p = 0.002). These associations persisted after IPTp initiation: younger age (RR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.22-2.43, p < 0.002), primigravida (RR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.81-3.20, p < 0.001), and traditional housing (RR = 1.30 95% CI 1.01-1.60, p = 0.02). Maternal level of education was not associated with malaria parasitaemia both at enrollment and after initiation of IPTp. Primigravida was strongly associated with high-grade placental malaria (RR = 4.20, 95% CI 2.33-7.59, p < 0.001)) and low birth weight (RR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.18-3.89, p = 0.01). However, there were no significant associations between maternal age, level of education, household wealth, and household construction with high-grade placental malaria or low birthweight. Conclusions: In an area of high malaria transmission, young primigravida women and those living in traditionally constructed houses had the greatest risk of malaria parasitemia during pregnancy. Primigravida women also had higher risks of low birth weight and high grade placental malaria.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.