Low birth weight and intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnant women in Lomé (Togo) in 2021: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa bears the heaviest burden of malariain the world. Pregnant women and children aged 0–5 years are the most affected. Malaria can cause foetal complications such as intrauterine growth restriction and low birth weight (LBW). Since 2012, WHO has recommended intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPT-SP) to prevent malaria-related complications in pregnant women. Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the proportion of LBW and its associated factors in Lomé (Togo) in 2021. Methods: A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2021. An exhaustive recruitment of women and their newborns was carried out in the gynaecology and obstetrics department of the Sylvanus Olympio University Hospital Center. Data from prenatal consultations of the mothers and clinical information of the newborns were collected. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with LBW. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 252 mother-child pairswere included in this study. The proportion of women who received at least three doses of IPT-SP was 66.7% and 37/252 newborns (14.7%) had LBW. Newborns of mothers who received less than three doses of IPT-SP had a higher risk of LBW (aOR = 9.3; 95%CI [4.2–22.3]). Conclusion: Ten years after WHO recommendations on IPT-Sp, Malaria prevention with IPT-SP is not optimal among pregnant women in Lomé. Interventions to strengthen the three-dose IPT policy are needed for the prevention of malaria and its consequences on the foetus in Lomé, Togo.