Congenital malaria is assumed to be a risk factor for infant morbidity and mortality in endemic areas like Maumere, Indonesia. Infected infants are susceptible to its impact such as premature labor, low birth weight, anemia, and other unspecified symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of congenital malaria and the influence of mother-infant paired parasite densities on the clinical outcome of the newborns at TC Hillers Hospital, Maumere. An analytical cross sectional study was carried out in newborns which showed criteria associated with congenital malaria. A thick and thin blood smear confirmed by nested PCR was performed in both mothers and infants. The association of congenital malaria with the newborn's health status was then assessed. From 112 mother-infant pairs included in this study, 92 were evaluated further. Thirty-nine infants (42.4%) were found to be infected and half of them were asymptomatic. Infected newborns had a 4.7 times higher risk in developing anemia compared to uninfected newborns (95% CI, 1.3-17.1). The hemoglobin level, erythrocyte amount, and hematocrit level were affected by the infants' parasite densities (P<0.05). Focusing on newborns at risk of congenital malaria, the prevalence is almost 3 times higher than in an unselected collective. Low birth weight, anemia, and pre-term birth were the most common features. Anemia seems to be significantly influenced by infant parasite densities but not by maternal parasitemia.
Anemia/*etiology ; Blood/parasitology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Indonesia/epidemiology ; *Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Malaria/*congenital/*epidemiology/pathology ; Male ; Microscopy ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence

Objective To investigate clinically severe malaria patients with Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum), Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) and mixed species infections. Methods This study was conducted at Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang, Indonesia, from December 2011 to May 2013. Twenty nine patients (mean age of 41 years, 22% female), who suffered from severe malaria according to World Health Organization criteria (major and minor) and other criteria based on previous studies, were selected by consecutive sampling. Blood samples were obtained at admission from peripheral blood for microscopic diagnostic, nested PCR and laboratory examination of blood chemistry. Laboratory results were compared between the groups and correlated to each other. Results From 29 samples, eight (28%) were diagnosed as P. falciparum mono-infection, 12 (41%) as P. vivax mono-infection and nine (31%) as mixed infections, confirmed by PCR. Cerebral malaria occurred in P. falciparum or mixed species infection only. Parasitaemia was highest in P. falciparum mono-infection. Mean haemoglobin was significantly lower in P. falciparum than P. vivax infection (P = 0.01). Mean thrombocyte count (77 138/μL) was low in all groups. Mean urea, creatinine, total and direct bilirubin were significantly higher in P. falciparum mono-infection compared to other groups, whereas aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase showed no significant differences. Parasitaemia was positively correlated with an increase in urea, creatinine, bilirubin and leucocytosis in all species. Conclusions Both Plasmodium species can solely or in combination cause severe malaria. Mixed infection was generally more benign than P. falciparum mono-infection and seemed to have some protective effects.