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Table 2 Comparison of birth weight (kg) and maternal haemoglobin levels (g/dl) according to presence or absence of malaria infection as detected by microscopy and histology

From: Diagnostic comparison of malaria infection in peripheral blood, placental blood and placental biopsies in Cameroonian parturient women

Infection classificationa

Birth weight (kg) (± SD)

Hb (g/dl) (± SD)

Malaria on microscopy

3.18 ± 0.54 (67)b

9.59 ± 1.87 (62)***c

Malaria on histology only

3.40 ± 0.49 (53)d

10.90 ± 1.38 (48)e

Past malaria

3.22 ± 0.52 (70)f

10.33 ± 1.29 (61)g

No malaria

3.31 ± 0.12 (116)

10.57 ± 1.67 (107)

  1. *** Significant
  2. aMalaria on microscopy: parasites identified by peripheral and placental blood
  3. microscopy; malaria on histology only, parasites identified by histology only but not blood smear microscopy; past malaria infection, malaria pigment identified by histology with negative blood film microscopy; no malaria, no parasites by blood smear microscopy nor placental histology.
  4. bP = 0.09 cP < 0.001, dP = 0.283, e P = 0.229, fP = 0.214, gp = 0.346 represent comparison with placentas with no P. falciparum infection.
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Malaria Journal

ISSN: 1475-2875

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