Impact of Plasmodium falciparum Parasitaemia on Packed Cell Volume in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in Maiduguri, North-eastern Nigeria

Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major cause of public health problems, such as maternal morbidity and anaemia, in Sub-Saharan Africa.However, trimester-specific relationships between parasite density and packed cell volume (PCV) in pregnancy remain underexplored in northeastern Nigeria.A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 pregnant women attending antenatal care at the State specialist hospital, Maiduguri, between August and October 2024.Venus blood samples were collected using standard WHO protocols for malaria microscopy (thick and thin films) and PCV determination.Parasite density was quantified per L of blood, and statistical analysis was performed in SPSS version 25 at a 95% confidence level.Overall, malaria prevalence was 79.2% (304/384).Infection was highest in the second trimester (44.8%), followed by the third (25%) and first (9.4%)trimester.A strong negative correlation was observed between parasite density and packed cell volume in the overall samples (r2= 0.7448, P< 0.05), and in the first (r2= 0.6718, P< 0.05), second (r2= 0.6720, P< 0.05), and third trimester (r2= 0.8662, P< 0.05).Pregnant women aged 25-34 years had the highest prevalence of parasite density >500 parasite/ L (27.6), while those aged 18-24 years recorded the highest proportion with low PCV (39%).Plasmodium falciparum infection significantly reduces PCV in pregnant women, with the most substantial impact in the third trimester.Findings underscore the need for routine trimester-specific malaria screening and anaemia prevention strategies in antenatal clinics in Maiduguri.Regular and consistent screening of Malaria infection among pregnant women during each hospital visit should be considered.