Publication Date: 2023/12/02
Abstract: Background: Malaria is a burden to human race. In areas with high malaria transmission, young children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to malaria infection and death. The global burden of malaria and that of poverty mirrors each other and malaria is well thought out to be both a cause and consequence of poverty; with fifty eight percent of malaria cases occurring in the poorest 20% of the world’s population and those who are least likely to have access to treatment. The World Health Organization recommends the use of Artemisinin-based combinations (ACTs) that includes artemeter-lumefantrine for the treatment of malaria in pregnancy, of which safety data is limited, hence the need for their post-market surveillance. The overall aim of this study is to assess the safety profile of artemeter-lumefantrine use among pregnant women and their newborn. Method: This was a Multi-Centre prospective cohort study of antimalarials in pregnant women in their second and third trimester of pregnancy. There were two cohorts of ACT arm and the SP arm and a total sample size of 392.Results:Pregnancy outcome: The study revealed that most of the participants (68.1%) had term deliveries (live birth). But, 11(2.8%) had post term delivery, 2(1.3%) had abortion while 6(1.5%) had miscarriage, 12(3.1%), while 40(10.2%) had Preterm birth. There was no significant association between pregnancy outcomes and antimalarial drugs used. Conclusion:The pregnancy outcome following the use of artemether-lumefantrine and that of sulphadoxine- pyrimethamine include live birth and stillbirth at term, premature delivery, post term deliveries,miscarriage and longer duration of labour. Abortion occurred only in the AL group and neonatal death only in the SP group. There is need for continuous post-market surveillance of these antimalarials among pregnant women.
Keywords: Pregnancy outcome, antimalarial, artemether- lumefantrine, uncomplicated malaria.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10250546
PDF: https://ijirst.demo4.arinfotech.co/assets/upload/files/IJISRT23NOV1502.pdf
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