Prevention of Intrauterine Growth Retardation in Hounde District, Burkina Faso: the Malaria Component

A research project aiming at investigating the impact of multivitamin-mineral supplementation (MMS) during pregnancy on intra-uterin growth retardation was carried out in the Hounde district, an area not far from the Centre Muraz located in Bobo Dioulasso, and where malaria is endemic. Malaria during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight, infant mortality and morbidity during the first year of life by inducing growth retardation, prematurity and infant anaemia.

The administration of an antimalarial drug during pregnancy has a beneficial effect on the mother and child's health by preventing malaria infection and its consequences. However, most studies have been carried out during the second or third trimester of pregnancy: the effect of malaria infection during the first trimester on the mother's and child's health is unknown. It has been reported that even one single infection may have a significant impact on the outcome of pregnancy: if it is true, then early chemoprophylaxis may have an additional advantage.

An alternative approach is the administration of intermittent presumptive treatment, which may achieve equal efficacy to continuos chemoprophylaxis; however, no studies compared effective weekly malaria chemoprophylaxis with effective intermittent presumptive treatment. Moreover, the incidence of malaria clinical episodes during SP intermittent preventive treatment has never been investigated.

Therefore, this open label, factorial study was carried out in the same women recruited for the IUGR nutritional study (NCT00642408). Women receiving multiple micronutrients supplements (MMS) or dietary supplements (IFA) were further randomised in 2 groups: CQ weekly chemoprophylaxis or SP intermittent preventive treatment. The administration of treatment was directly observed.