Table 2 Parasitological indices of delivering women at Agogo Hospital, southern Ghana, in 2000 and 2006

No.

839

197

226

Placental infection (%)

   Microscopy

34.9

29.9

15.0

<0.0001

0.0002

   Pigment

30.9

31.0

17.7

<0.0001

0.001

   HRP2

40.8

38.6

22.1

<0.0001

0.0002

   PCR

59.4

51.3

31.9

<0.0001

<0.0001

Stage of placental infection

   Resolved

17.9 (64/357)

28.1 (23/82)

27.7 (13/47)

   Late

54.6 (195/357)

46.3 (38/82)

57.4 (27/47)

   Early

27.5 (98/357)

25.6 (21/82)

14.9 (7/47)

0.10

0.31

Placental parasite density (GMPD, 95%CI)

0.78 (0.57–1.03)

0.61 (0.32–1.15)

0.31 (0.12–0.80)

0.06

0.23

Peripheral blood film positive (%)

19.0

11.2

14.6

0.13

0.29

Peripheral parasite density (GMPD, 95%CI)

558 (404–772)

506 (224–1142)

891 (366–2172)

0.24

0.39