The Influence of Malaria on Some Haematological Parameters in Pregnancy

Pregnant women and their unborn fetuses are at a high risk of deleterious attacks of malaria infection. Also, standard chemotherapy and prophylaxis are lacking or inadequate in most endemic areas. The main objective of this study was to estimate the number of febrile, pregnant women who had malaria infection, and also to determine the influence of malaria parasites on some haematological parameters, in pregnancy. Venous blood samples were collected, during the second trimester of pregnancy, from one hundred (100) febrile pregnant women, and one hundred (100) nonfebrile pregnant women. The blood films were stained, examined and evaluated for malaria parasites. Haematological parameters like packed cell volume (PCV), reticulocyte count, and total white blood cell counts (WBC) of each samples were determined. Among the febrile women, seventy two percent (72%) were positive for Plasmodium (P) falciparum infection. Parasite densities varied from 5.2-25%. The range of the PCVs among the febrile women was 18% (23 to 41%), while it was 8(36-44) in the non-febrile subjects. The WBC count of the febrile pregnant women had a range of 8.0mm 3 (3.0-11.0mm 3 ) while the non-pregnant women had 6.0mm 3 (5.0-11.0mm 3 ). Reticulocyte counts of the febrile subjects had a range of 5.3% (1.0-6.3%), while the non-febrile ones had 1.0% (0.5-1.5). Reticulocyte counts were significantly higher in febrile women with high parasitaemia (P<0.05), while PCVs were significantly lower, (P<0.05) in the same group of febrile women. Those with high parasite counts had relatively higher, total white blood cell counts and lower PCVs, than others. There were associations between parasitaemia and PCVs, and also between parasitaemia and WBCs. The results highlighted the importance of making adequate prophylaxis and chemotherapy available for pregnant women. Keywords: Deleterious attacks, chemotherapy, febrile, malaria infection and reticulocyte Nigerian Journal of Parasitology , Vol. 32 [2] September 2011, pp.187-191