Transplacental passage of Plasmodium falciparum and seroevaluation of newborns in northern Nigeria.

The findings of a prospective study of 656 near-term pregnant; women, and of the cord and peripheral blood of newborns of positive mothers are reported. 292 (44.51%) of the pregnant women were infected with Plasmodium falciparum. Further microscopic screening of the cord blood of newborns of the 292 positive cases at delivery showed a parasite rate of 10.95%. Transplacental passage of P. falciparum was confirmed by detection of parasitemia in the peripheral blood of 2.82% of newborns within 7 days of birth. Serological investigation of sera of 284 newborns by indirect fluorescent technic (IFA) with P. falciparum IgM specific conjugate indicated that 72 (24.66%) had IgM antibodies of P. falciparum in their blood. The average birthweight of seropositive newborns was 400 g less than seronegative ones. There was no significant difference in the rate of neonatal infection regardless of whether or not the mothers had taken chloroquine prophylaxis.