A higher prevalence of malaria infection (peripheral or placental) has been reported in the primigravidae and secondigravidae
when compared with multigravidae. This study set out to determine the effect of parity and age on the prevalence of malaria
parasitaemia in pregnancy at the booking antenatal visit at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi.
Peripheral blood smears were examined in 420 pregnant women at their booking antenatal visit and in 200 control subjects
attending the outpatient clinic on the same day for malaria parasites. These subjects (pregnant women and controls) met the
inclusion criteria of being HIV sero-negative, not sickle-cell positive, did not have a history of recent blood transfusion and
had been resident in Nnewi for 1 year. The result showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the
prevalence rate of malaria parasitaemia in the primigravidae (87.9%: 109 of 124) and grand multigravidae (63.6%: 28 of 44);
and the rates were found to decrease with increasing parity. The primigravidae had a higher mean parasite density (2,155/ml)
when compared with the multigravidae (1,950/ml). This study also revealed that pregnant women 520 years had the highest
prevalence rate of 86.4% (19 of 22). This study demonstrates the higher prevalence of malaria parasitaemia in pregnant
women of lower parity, i.e. primigravidae and secondigravidae. Therefore, targeting malaria control efforts to women in their
first and second pregnancy will be an important strategy to reach most infected women and minimise resource expenditure.
These women should be motivated to use insecticide treated bed nets (ITBN) and other personal malarial control measures
during pregnancy.