Effect of malaria in pregnancy on foetal cortical brain development: a longitudinal observational study.

Background: Malaria in pregnancy has a negative impact on foetal growth, but it is not known whether this also affects the foetal nervous system. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of malaria on foetal cortex development by three-dimensional ultrasound.

Methods: Brain images were acquired using a portable ultrasound machine and a 3D ultrasound transducer.