The overarching aims of this study are to longitudinally determine the occurrence of pregnancy in a cohort of nulligravida at the community level and to estimate the burden of malaria infection during the course of the pregnancy till delivery.
Three subgroups will involve in the design of this study: for subgroup 1, fieldworkers will visit the households in the study area to identify and enroll women meeting the eligibility criteria to involve in a nulligravida cohort aged ≥ 15 years. After consenting a fingerprick blood sample will be obtained for pregnancy testing, malaria blood smear, and VAR2CSA antibodies measurement. Enrolled women will be visited every trimester to check for pregnancy and malaria infection. The follow up of each participant will end upon a pregnancy test is positive or at month 9 after the enrolment. Participants to subgroup 2 will be enrolled primigravidae aged ≥ 15 years by study staff stationed at the antenatal care clinic. Women attending the ANC visit at any gestational age will be screened and those meeting the eligibility criteria will undergo the study procedures which includes collecting demographic data, medical and pregnancy history. They will then be requested to donate a fingerprick blood sample for malaria infection and hemoglobin measurement. This will be a single timepoint evaluation. Subgroup 3 participants will be recruited primigravidae aged ≥ 15 years during any of the ANC visit as consenting process will not be feasible during the labour at delivery. They will be issued a sticker that will be affixed to the health card so that they could easily be recognized when they come for delivery. At delivery, samples will be collected from fingerprick, cord blood and placenta for detecting malaria infection by microscopy and histopathology. Additional data will be collected on the neonate for secondary outcomes assessment.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
2,390
GRAS-Banfora
Banfora, Burkina Faso
RECRUITINGProportion of nulliparous with positive urine test
Proportion of nulliparous with positive urine pregnancy test at 3 months, 6 months and 9 months post enrolment
Time frame: 9 months
P. falciparum infection in nulliparous attending the antenatal care visit
Prevalence of P. falciparum infection by microscopy and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) in nulliparous attending the antenatal care visit at the local health care facility
Time frame: 9 months
Moderate and severe anemia during the last antenatal care visit
Proportion of pregnant women with moderate and severe anemia during the last antenatal care visit at the local health care facility
Time frame: 9 months
P. falciparum infection at delivery
Prevalence of parasitemia at delivery (maternal and cord blood) by microscopy
Time frame: 9 months
Placental infection
Proportion of women at delivery with histopathologically confirmed placental infection
Time frame: 9 months
Adverse birth outcomes
Prevalence of adverse birth outcomes (spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, low birth weight (\<2,500 g), preterm delivery (\<37 weeks))
Time frame: 9 months
Uptake IPTp-SP (Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy using sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine) during the pregnancy
Proportion of pregnant women receiving one, two, three and ≥ 3 doses of IPT-SP during the pregnancy
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Time frame: 9 months