Malaria Transmission and Fetal Growth
Open accessAbstract
In view of the known relation between infection of the maternal circulation of the placenta with Plasmodium falciparum and impaired fetal growth a study was made of the effect on birth weights of a malaria eradication campaign in the British Solomon Islands. Mean birth weights rose substantially within months of starting antimalarial operations. The increases between 1969 and 1971 averaged 252 g in babies of primigravidae and 165 g in all babies. The proportion of babies with birth weights of less than 2,500 g fell by 8% overall and by 20% among babies of primigravidae. The adverse effect of malaria transmission on fetal growth was apparently reversible if transmission of infection in the community was interrupted up to as late as the third trimester of pregnancy. The beneficial effects of malaria eradication operations on infant survival, child development, and social attitudes in developing countries are discussed.
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Malaria during pregnancy can exacerbate the condition of patients with drug-resistant parasites, anemia, endemic poverty, and malnutrition.
“Malaria during pregnancy can exacerbate the condition of patients with drug-resistant parasites, anemia, endemic poverty, and malnutrition [87, 184].”
From Current update on malaria in pregnancy: a systematic review (2025) · cites this paper as [184]
The BIRTH WEIGHTS AND PREMATURITY RATES section (page not provided) links placental malaria to lower infant birth weights and reports improved birth weights after malaria transmission was interrupted. It does not address whether malaria worsens pregnant patients’ conditions in the presence of drug-resistant parasites, anemia, poverty, or malnutrition. (LLM, conf=0.81)
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Malaria in pregnancy in the Asia-Pacific region
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Current update on malaria in pregnancy: a systematic review
Minwuyelet, A., Yewhalaw, D., Siferih, M., & Atenafu, G. (2025) · Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines · doi:10.1186/s40794-025-00248-1 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
- Authors
- Macgregor, J. D., & Avery, J. G.
- Venue
- BMJ
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 1974-08-17
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 5928
- Pages
- 433-436
- ISSN
- 0007-1447 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-5833
- OpenAlex
- W2089875279
- Cited by
- 52
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 4.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.bmj.com/company/legal-information/terms-conditions/legal-information/tdm-licencepolicy (tdm)
- Locations
- BMJ (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Malaria Research and Control
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Keywords
- malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, fetal growth, birth weight, malaria eradication, malaria treatment, primigravida, low birth weight, placental malaria, infant survival, child development
- MeSH terms
- Anopheles, Birth Order, Birth Weight, Child, Child, Preschool, Communicable Disease Control, Female, Fetus, Gestational Age, Growth, Humans, Insect Control, Insect Vectors, Obstetric Labor, Premature, Malaria, Melanesia, Placenta, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium vivax, Pregnancy
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