Prevalence of malaria among pregnant and non-pregnant women of district Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

In the study period of two years 145 pregnant and 79 non-pregnant women with malarial infection were recorded. Plasmodium falciparum was the most prevalent species accounting for 72% of the total malaria infection in pregnant women while, in non-pregnant women it accounted for 58%. Results were analysed according to the species to which the parasite belonged, period of gestation and parity. While cerebral malaria, abortions, intrauterine foetal death, maternal anaemia were common in pregnant patients, only one neonatal death was recorded. Malaria parasites were not found in infants born to mothers with very heavy parasitaemia at the time of delivery. Even though pregnant women of all age groups and parity remain highly susceptible to malaria throughout pregnancy and puerperium from this area, some striking differences like malaria infection more prevalent in primigravidas than multigravidas and in second trimester than in third trimester were noticed in comparison to northern India. Results emphasize the need to target malaria control for this group of women. Failure to clear parasitaemia after chloroquine administration in P. falciparum was common in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. This is an area, where there is a great need to introduce effective malaria interventions. As chloroquine resistant parasites spread a better understanding of the problem is needed leading to a few chemotherapeutic options for pregnant women.