Clinical profile of malaria in children--a prospective study from Aligarh (N. India).

In a prospective, hospital-based study in North India, malaria accounted for 1.5% of paediatric outpatient attendances during 1 year. A marked increase in the prevalence of malaria was noted during the post-monsoon months. Plasmodium falciparum was the causative species in 44.4% of cases, contrary to previous reports of low prevalence of this parasite in the area. Pyrexia with or without chills or rigor, vomiting, pallor and hepatosplenomegaly were the common presenting clinical features. Splenic and hepatic enlargement were seen more frequently with P. vivax than P. falciparum infections (P less than 0.001 and P less than 0.01, respectively). Convulsions were present in 20% of cases.