Factors Associated With Placental Malaria in Upper West Regional Hospital-Wa, Ghana

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2019-10

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University of Ghana

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Background Placental malaria (PM) poses life-threatening complications to pregnant women as they are at increased risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Despite several interventions put in place to reduce malaria in pregnancy in Ghana, latest studies in the northern part revealed one out of every two pregnant women delivering in a hospital have PM. The study determined the proportion of women with PM in the Upper West Regional Hospital (UWR) and its associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional hospital-based design with a quantitative approach was carried out among pregnant women delivering at UWR Hospital. The eligible mothers (300) were consecutively recruited and a structured questionnaire used to collect data from the mothers. Placental blood samples were taken for microscopy to determine PM parasitemia. Microsoft Excel 2016 and Stata version 15 were used to analyze the data. Univariate and multivariate analysis were done for the factors using simple and multiple logistic regression respectively. Significance was considered for all variables at p<0.05 and 95% confidence level. Results The proportion of mothers with placental malaria was 7% (21/300), (95%CI, 4.3-10.5%). Majority of the women (66.7%) with placental malaria had parasite density in the range 501 to 5,000 parasites/ul. Predictors of PM were ANC and gravidity. Whereas primigravida was associated with an increased odd of three times compared with multigravida (aOR=3.48, 95%CI= 1.01 – 12.01), that of less than 4 ANC attendance was associated with nine times increase in odds compared with mothers who attended more than four ANC, (aOR=9.78, 95%CI= 2.89 – 33.11). Conclusion The proportion of women with PM was low. Primigravid mothers and less than four ANC visits were associated with PM. All pregnant women especially primigravida should be encouraged to attend ANC of at least four visits before delivery.

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MPhil. Applied Epidemiology & Disease Control

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Malaria, Pregnancy, Placental Malaria, Upper West Regional Hospital-Wa, Ghana

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