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Table 2 Malaria infection at first antenatal visit and at birth, by presence or absence of iron deficiency (plasma ferritin), Madang, Papua New Guinea, 2009–2013

From: Associations of maternal iron deficiency with malaria infection in a cohort of pregnant Papua New Guinean women

 

All women

Iron-deficient (ferritin < 15 μg/L)

Iron-replete (ferritin ≥ 15 μg/L)

aOR (95% CI)

P value

First antenatal visit

 Parasite detection

n = 1888

n = 1226

n = 662

  

  Microscopic

124 (6.6)

47 (3.8)

77 (11.6)

0.30 (0.21, 0.46)

 < 0.001

  Submicroscopic

134 (7.1)

76 (6.2)

58 (8.8)

0.74 (0.51, 1.07)

0.11

  No infection

1630 (86.3)

1103 (90.0)

527 (79.6)

Reference

 

 Plasmodium species

  P. falciparum

190 (10.1)

76 (6.2)

114 (17.2)

0.35 (0.26, 0.49)

 < 0.001

  P. falciparum/P. vivaxa

12 (0.6)

6 (0.5)

6 (0.9)

  

  P. vivax

52 (2.8)

39 (3.2)

13 (2.0)

1.76 (0.91, 3.41)

0.093

  P. malariae/ovale

4 (0.2)

2 (0.2)

2 (0.3)

–

 

  No infection

1630 (86.3)

1103 (90.0)

527 (79.6)

Reference

 

Delivery

 Peripheral infection

n = 1888

n = 1226

n = 662

  

  Parasite detection

   Microscopic

59 (3.1)

36 (2.9)

23 (3.5)

0.97 (0.55, 1.70)

0.91

   Submicroscopic

61 (3.2)

30 (2.5)

31 (4.7)

0.48 (0.28, 0.82)

0.008

   No infection

1768 (93.6)

1160 (94.6)

608 (91.8)

Reference

 

  Plasmodium species

   P. falciparum

71 (3.8)

40 (3.3)

31 (4.7)

0.77 (0.47, 1.27)

0.31

   P. falciparum/P. vivaxa

3 (0.2)

3 (0.2)

0 (0.0)

–

 

   P. vivax

46 (2.4)

23 (1.9)

23 (3.5)

0.55 (0.30, 1.02)

0.058

   No infection

1768 (93.6)

1160 (94.6)

608 (91.8)

Reference

 

 Placental infection (blood)

n = 1253

n = 817

n = 436

  

  Parasite detectionb

   Microscopic

40 (3.2)

24 (2.9)

16 (3.7)

1.00 (0.51, 1.99)

0.99

   Submicroscopic

23 (1.8)

8 (1.0)

15 (3.4)

0.33 (0.13, 0.83)

0.018

   No infection

1190 (95.0)

785 (96.1)

405 (92.9)

Reference

 

 Placental infection (histology)

n = 1356

n = 893

n = 463

  

  Acute

53 (3.9)

40 (4.5)

13 (2.8)

1.62 (0.83, 3.16)

0.16

  Chronic

50 (3.7)

26 (2.9)

24 (5.2)

0.54 (0.30, 0.99)

0.047

  Past

151 (11.1)

72 (8.1)

79 (17.1)

0.35 (0.24, 0.51)

 < 0.001

  No infection

1102 (81.3)

755 (84.6)

347 (75.0)

Reference

 
  1. N (%). Analyses adjusted for gravidity, maternal age, malaria chemoprevention regimen, rural location, and gestational age at ferritin measurement. Ferritin levels were adjusted for concurrent inflammation and peripheral Plasmodium parasitaemia using the BRINDA (Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia) approach [36]
  2. aOR: adjusted odds ratio; CI: confidence interval; P: Plasmodium
  3. aMixed P. falciparum/P. vivax infections were included in regressions models as P. falciparum infections
  4. bIncludes 55 P. falciparum infections, 1 mixed P. falciparum/P. vivax infection, and 7 P. vivax infections
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Malaria Journal

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