Malaria and hookworm infections in relation to haemoglobin and serum ferritin levels in pregnancy in Masindi district, western Uganda

This study examined the predictors of haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and serum ferritin (SF) levels in pregnant women in an area of stable malaria transmission and high prevalence of intestinal helminth infections. In total, 834 women attending antenatal care for the first time were examined. Blood slides for malaria parasites were prepared for 802, of which 154 were primigravidae (PG) and 648 were multigravidae (MG). Malaria parasitaemia rate was 42.6% (66) in PG and 33.3% (216) in MG (P=0.04). The geometric mean parasite density was 1695.8 (95% CI 1005.0-2386.5) in PG and 922.7 (95% CI 626.7-1382.6) in MG (P=0.02). Anaemia (Hb