A health facility-based assessment of the ancillary benefit for prevention of anaemia at term of intermittent preventive therapy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in pregnancy

TL;DR

This study shows that more doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine during pregnancy are linked to higher hemoglobin levels, reducing the risk of anemia at term.

Contribution

The study demonstrates a linear relationship between sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine doses and reduced maternal anemia risk.

Findings

Women receiving ≥4 doses had significantly lower odds of anemia compared to those with nil exposure.

Mean hemoglobin levels increased with higher sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine doses.

The study highlights the importance of adherence to the full regimen for maximum benefit.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the ancillary benefit of intermittent preventive therapy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) in preventing maternal anaemia (MA) among parturient women differentially exposed to the regimen.

A health facility-based retrospective analytical cross-sectional study.

The study was conducted at the Kade Government Hospital's maternity/labor suit.

Data from 2,545 parturient women were abstracted from birth registers.

Baseline characteristics were described, and stratified analyses assessed their impacts. Differences in mean mHgbc based on IPTp-SP exposure were determined using one-way ANOVA. An unpaired two-sample t-test evaluated the significance of inter-dose group differences. The bivariable analysis examined crude and adjusted risks of anaemia with differential IPTp-SP exposure.

The main outcome measure was the level of mHgbc with varying IPTp-SP exposure.

The overall mean exposure to IPTp-SP was 2.35 (±2.35) doses. Of the women, 5.9% had ‘nil’ exposure, with a mean mHgbc of 9.71 g/dL (±1.6). Among the 75.9% who received 1-3 doses, the mean mHgbc was 10.39 g/dL (±1.3). For the 18.2% who received ≥4 doses, the mean mHgbc was 10.77 g/dL (±1.4). The mHgbc notably rose as the mean doses of IPTp-SP increased. The crude odds ratios (COR) were 1.96 (95% CI: 0.99-3.89, p = 0.06) for ‘nil’ exposure, 1.28 (95% CI: 0.92-1.78, p = 0.16) for 1-3 doses, and 0.59 (95% CI: 0.41-0.84, p = 0.002) for ≥4 doses.

The consistent linear increase in mean mHgbc with higher IPTp-SP doses remains clinically crucial.

None declared