Highly effective therapy for maternal malaria associated with a lower risk of vertical transmission

Abstract

Background.The epidemiology of congenital malaria was investigated in a hospital-based malaria surveillance study in Papua, Indonesia.Methods.From April 2005 to January 2010, 4878 delivering women and their newborns underwent prospective clinical review and malaria screening by peripheral blood microscopy.Findings.Congenital malaria occurred in 8 per 1000 (38/4884) live births, with Plasmodium falciparum accounting for 76.3% (29) and P. vivax for 15.8% (6) of infections. Maternal malaria at delivery (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 9.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2-21.5; P