Prevalence and pattern of cord blood malaria parasitaemia in a general practice setting in sub-Saharan Africa.

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and pattern of umbilical cord blood malaria and its association with peripartum maternal malaria in a family practice setting in sub Saharan Africa.

Methodology: A prospective case study of pregnant women at delivery in a private practice setting in sub-Saharan Africa. Giemsa stained blood smears of maternal peripheral blood and paired umbilical cord blood were examined under light microscope for malaria parasites.

Result: The prevalence of cord blood malaria was 64.6% compared with 68.8% for maternal blood. The primigravidae had the highest prevalence for both umbilical cord malaria parasitaemia (72%) and maternal blood (72%), when compared with secondigravidae (61.1%) and other multigravidae > or = 3 (69.8%). The cord blood of primigravidae had the -highest mean parasite density, 1360 +/- 1987.3/microl, compared with secondigravidae (1000 +/- 143) and other multigravidae (1037.7 +/- 1951). The study found a significant variation (p< .05) between cord blood malaria parasitaemia and maternal blood malaria parasitaemia. Cord blood malaria is not a risk factor for low birth weight. In conclusion, the primigravidae have the highest prevalence rates for paired cord blood malaria parasitaemia and maternal blood as well as the highest mean parasite density for the paired samples.