Table 1 Characteristics of 2050 Ghanaian children at 15 months of age, i.e. six month after the third dose of IPTi-SP

No.

1086

964

Proportion girls (%)

50.2

49.3

0.68

Examination for present study (15 months of age) in rainy season (%)

89.6

49.3

< 0.0001

SP group : placebo group

542 : 544

485 : 479

0.86

Current P. falciparum infection

   by microscopy (%; n/n)

11.0 (119/1084)

24.3 (229/944)

< 0.0001

   GMPD (parasites/μL, 95%CI)

2312 (1599-3344)

1455 (1105-1917)

0.03

   by PCR (%)

23.6 (248/1049)

n.a.

-

Current malaria episode (%, n/n)

7.4 (80/1084)

11.3 (107/944)

0.002

Febrile (%, n/n)

12.8 (138/1082)

6.1 (59/964)

< 0.0001

History of fever within 48 h (%, n/n)

31.7 (344/1086)

31.8 (307/964)

0.93

Haemoglobin (g/dL; mean, range)

8.91 (4.7-12.7)

9.90 (2.0-15.0)

< 0.0001

Proportion anaemic (Hb < 11 g/dL; %, n/n)

94.0 (1019/1084)

74.4 (715/961)

< 0.0001

Proportion severely anaemic (Hb < 7 g/dL; %, n/n)

8.0 (87/1084)

4.9 (47/961)

0.004

Proportion with prior episode(s) of malaria (%, n/n)

47.4 (515/1086)

57.6 (555/964)

< 0.0001

No. of previous malaria episodes (mean, range)

0.67 (0-5)

1.23 (0-7)

< 0.0001