[Malaria and pregnancy. Epidemiological situation in Kinshasa (Zaïre)].

By regular blood smears to 730 women (430 pregnant women and 250 non pregnant) authors state precisely epidemiologic situation of malaria to women at Kinshasa. The prevalence of malaria of pregnant women is 22 per cent against 6.1 per cent for non pregnant adult women. Malarial infestation in gravido-puerperal period is : mother : 23.7 per cent ; umbilical cord : 3.1 per cent ; newborn : 5.4 per cent ; placenta : 10.1 per cent. Plasmodium falciparum is the principal agent of malaria at Kinshasa. Neither age, nor parity constitute risk factors of malaria. Many cases of malaria without fever exist at Kinshasa. Newborn with malaria and from pregnancies with infected placentas present at the birth a small weight. Placentas of pregnancies with malaria and infected have invariably the same weight.