Malaria prophylaxis during pregnancy in primigravidae using sulfadoxine / Pyrimerthamine in Wad Medani - Sudan

[I] To evaluate the efficacy of Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine as a prophylactic intervention in prevention and control of malaria during pregnancy. [II] To compare effect on neonatal low birth weight [LBW] between intervention and control groups. [III] To determine the proportion of maternal, neonatal and placental parasitaemia among intervention control groups. Material and methods: A prospective case/control interventional study of 113 primigravidae, 57 as an intervention group and 56 as a control group selected through a cluster sampling technique. After taking their verbal consent, the intervention group received two doses of sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine [SP] in the second and early third trimesters, and followed up according to the WHO antenatal care schedule. The outcomes include the following: Reduction of malaria episodes during pregnancy in primigravidae. Reduction of prevalence of neonatal low birth weight. Determination of the prevalence of maternal, neonatal and placental parasitaemia. The frequency of malaria episodes during pregnancy in primigravidae was found to be 14.6% and 29.7% for intervention and control groups respectively and there was a significant statistical difference between the two groups [P< 0.00001].The proportion of LBW was found to be 3.5% and 35.8% for the intervention and control groups respectively and there was a significant statistical difference between the two groups [Z=6.99]. The proportion of maternal, neonatal and placental parasitaemia was found to be [10.9% and 54.9%],[11.1% and 54.9%] and [24% and 50%] for intervention and control groups respectively and there was a significant difference between the two groups regarding maternal and neonatal parasitaemia, while there was no significant difference regarding placental parasitaemia. Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine is an effective prophylactic intervention for reducing malaria episodes during pregnancy and improving neonatal birth weight