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Review
. 2024 Aug 30:62:101474.
doi: 10.1016/j.nmni.2024.101474. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes in maternal malarial infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Prakasini Satapathy  1   2 , Mahalaqua Nazli Khatib  3 , Shilpa Gaidhane  4 , Quazi Syed Zahiruddin  5 , Rakesh Kumar Sharma  6   7 , Sarvesh Rustagi  8 , Jumana M Al-Jishi  9 , Hawra Albayat  10 , Mona A Al Fares  11 , Mohammed Garout  12 , Hayam A Alrasheed  13 , Maha F Al-Subaie  14   15 , Ali A Rabaan  14   16   17 , Ranjit Sah  18   19   20
Affiliations
Review

Adverse pregnancy outcomes in maternal malarial infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Prakasini Satapathy et al. New Microbes New Infect. .

Abstract

Background: Malaria in pregnancy is a critical public health issue that can lead to severe adverse outcomes for both mother and fetus. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the prevalence of adverse birth outcomes in malaria-infected pregnancies and examines their association with the condition.

Method: We searched databases up to January 30, 2024, for observational studies on pregnant women with malaria. Data were analyzed using a random-effects model to calculate pooled prevalence rates and risk ratios (RRs) for adverse outcomes, with statistical support from R software version 4.3.

Results: Thirty-one studies were included, showing high prevalence of low birth weight (LBW; 17.4 %), preterm birth (17.9 %), and small for gestational age (SGA; 16.1 %) in malaria-affected pregnancies. Infected mothers were significantly more likely to have LBW infants (RR = 1.755), preterm births (RR = 1.484), and SGA infants (RR = 1.554). The risk of stillbirth was not significantly increased (RR = 1.238).

Conclusion: Malaria in pregnancy significantly elevates the risk of LBW, preterm birth, and SGA, underscoring the need for effective malaria prevention and treatment strategies in endemic regions. Future research should aim to refine and implement these strategies to enhance maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

Keywords: Low birthweight; Malaria; Meta-analysis; Plasmodium; Preterm birth; Stillbirth.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram depicting article selection and screening process.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Prevalence of LBW among malarial-infected pregnancies.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Prevalence of preterm birth among malarial infected pregnancies.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Prevalence of SGA birth among malarial infected pregnancies.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Risk of LBW with malarial infection.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Risk of preterm birth with malarial infection.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Risk of SGA birth with malarial infection.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Risk of stillbirth with malarial infection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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