Impact of congenital malaria in some maternity hospitals in Kinshasa: an analytical cross-sectional study involving 482 newborns from febrile mothers

Abstract

Context & objective. Parasitized newborns (NN) constitute a potential reservoir for disease transmission. The objectives of the present study were to determine the extent and identify the factors associated with congenital malaria (CM) in Kinshasa. Methods. This was an analytical & multicentric cross-sectional study, carried out between February 15, 2022 and February 15, 2023 in hospital facilities of 4 health districts in Kinshasa. The study population consisted of newborns from febrile mothers either during labor, or during the week prior to delivery, in whom Plasmodium was systematically tested in umbilical cord blood using thick drop (GE) staining with Giemsa at Kinshasa University Hospital according to the usual technique. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with CM. Results. The prevalence of CM in newborns was 9.3%, with 100 % lethality in symptomatic newborns. Associated factors were: low socio-economic level, primary and secondary education, fever, absence of prenatal consultations (PNC) and/or frequency of less than 3 PNC. The determining factors were: non-use and/or irregular use of long-acting insecticide-impregnated mosquito nets (LLINs) and non-use or insufficient use (< 3 doses) of intermittent preventive treatment (IPTg-SP). Conclusion. Nearly 10% of babies born to at-risk mothers have CM, fatal if symptomatic. Systematic testing for Plasmodium is necessary in all newborns of mothers with unattended or inadequately attended prenatal consultations (PNC), as well as in those born to mothers on IPTg-SP or who received less than 3 doses. Received: May 26th, 2023Accepted: March 29th, 2025 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v18i3.18