Quantitative Evaluation of Serum Uric Acid among Pregnant Women Infected with Malaria Parasite in Bayelsa State

Malaria is a parasite disease transmitted through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, which is active between dusk and sunrise. Severe malaria during pregnancy can cause fetal loss and a high maternal mortality rate due to hypoglycemia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Uric acid is the byproduct of purine metabolism, and an excessive quantity causes endothelial dysfunction, which can lead to hypertension and vascular disease. The purpose of this study was to determine blood uric acid levels in pregnant women infected with the malaria parasite. A cross-sectional, observational study design was used, and the research was carried out at Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital in Okolobiri, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A total of 30 participants participated in this study; 15 pregnant women with and without malaria parasites in their blood specimens were obtained from both groups, and thick blood films were created with it and left to dry overnight then treated with Giemsa stain, which was allowed to air-dry. The sample findings were evaluated using Microsoft Excel's student t-test. The study found that pregnant women with the malaria parasite (5.16±2.26) had a statistical p-value of 0.111, while pregnant women without the parasite (5.26±1.86) had a p-value of 0.11. As a result, the presence of uric acid in the serum of pregnant women infected with the malaria parasite appears not to affect predisposing symptoms or treatment outcomes.