Laina Peck

Biology Lab 1615

3/21/17

Congenital malaria in Calabar, Nigeria: the molecular perspective

There is an estimated 75,000 to 200,000 infant death attributed to malaria during

pregnancy each year. These deaths are most commonly found in areas with a small isolated

population where malaria is present and health care is limited. The chances of developing or

being born with malaria in these circumstances is 46% while the rest of the world is only about

0.3%. Scientists have begun to change the way they process and detect malaria in these extreme

conditions. One of those ways is by conducting an experiment in order to detect malaria in

children before the virus can cause serious or life changing harm.

Between the months of March and June in 2009, a team of scientists went into the African city of

Calabar in order to conduct their research. 204 mothers were enrolled in the program where they

filled out a questionnaire that determined their background and overall health, as well as living

conditions. The scientist were testing to see if the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a test that is

hypersensitive to low level parasitemia could provide an earlier detector of the disease. Detecting

this could eliminating the standard thick blood film microscopy technique, that was commonly

used and provide the child with a treatment that could elongate their life.

The scientist started their research by preforming a blood test before and after the birth of

the child in order to determine if the child and mother were born with any kind of partial

immunity towards the disease as well as determining if the mother was already a carrier of the

disease.
 After their research they found that women who had malaria before pregnancy were most

likely to give birth to a child with the condition, out of 204 mothers at least 146 of them had

symptoms of spreading the disease on to their fetus. 203 out of 204 mothers were able to be

constantly treated with the PCR method resulting with only 20 out of 204 children born with the

disease.

The majority of mothers were able to received hospital care for the conditions after being

tested in order to reduce the likelihood of fetal death. While 17 mothers received care from

another source. These sources include local professional doctors as well as rural tribal doctors

living in the area, as one patient not completing the experiment.

The scientist concluded as well that the (PCR) method was successful as long as the

mothers continued to get medical attention at the 2nd trimester and treatment after birth. The

early detection the PCR method has is more effective than the Standard thick blood film test that

could only be performed months after birth, seeing as the disease is less detectable in utero and

small infants. They elaborated by stating in their article published congenital malaria in calabar,

Nigeria: The molecular perspective in conclusion, this PCR-based study observed lower

prevalence of congenital malaria than has been reported by previous studies conducted

particularly in Calabar. We also report a higher percentage of multigravida with placental

malaria. We recommend that a large, multicenter, adequately powered study be conducted to

determine the prevalence of congenital malaria in Nigeria using both PCR and microscopy

methods.

The scientist due acknowledge that while their findings are statistically very high in

success, the number of women taking the study was low. They acknowledge as well that the test

results were taken within 24 hours of birth where other studies that have monitored the child
throughout life have found the increase of malaria developing over time. Even with these things

considered the experiment was successful, out of 204 mother, calculating an approximate major

of error of 15% that the PCR method of detecting and treating malaria in children and mothers

was more effective and resulted in a longer mortality rate for the mother and the child.