Objective: To investigate the effect of isolated or concomitant infection with malaria and HIV on pregnancy and neonatal outcome.
Methods: Data were collected on pregnant women admitted during the rainy seasons in the obstetric division of a district referral hospital in northern Zimbabwe in 2000 and 2001. The effects of malaria and HIV infection were determined by multivariate analysis.
Results: The prevalence of HIV seropositivity and symptomatic malaria in 986 pregnant women was 8.3% and 14.7%, respectively. HIV-infected women were more likely to develop malaria attacks during pregnancy than seronegative women (odds ratio [OR] = 3.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.42-6.46). Malaria and HIV infections were associated with increased risk of stillbirth (OR = 4.74, 95% CI: 1.34-16.78) and preterm delivery (OR = 4.10, 95% CI: 2.17-7.75), respectively. They were independently associated with increased risk of low birth weight (malaria: OR = 10.09, 95% CI: 6.50-15.65; HIV: OR = 3.16, 95% CI: 1.80-5.54) and very low birth weight (malaria: OR = 5.04, 95% CI: 1.00-25.43; HIV: OR = 10.74, 95% CI: 2.12-54.41), low Apgar score (malaria: OR = 4.45, 95% CI: 1.42-13.94; HIV: OR = 5.94, 95% CI: 1.66-21.30), and fetal growth restriction (malaria: OR = 3.98, 95% CI: 2.51-6.30; HIV: OR = 4.07, 95% CI: 2.40-6.92). Dual infection with malaria and HIV was associated with increased risk of maternal, perinatal, and early infant death.
Conclusions: Women with single HIV or malaria infection have a significantly increased risk of adverse outcomes of pregnancy and childbirth. Dual infection has additional detrimental effects on maternal and infant survival in an area where HIV and malaria coexist.