Biochemical and Haematological Changes in Malaria-Infected Children Under Five at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria

Study’s Excerpt: • Malaria-positive children showed significant reductions in serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and albumin. • Serum lipid and protein profiles may serve as biomarkers for malaria severity in under-five children. • A cross-sectional study involved 316 malaria-suspected and 100 healthy children under five years. • Only 15.8% of clinically suspected malaria cases tested positive, indicating diagnostic challenges. • Significant (p<0.05) biochemical differences suggest systemic metabolic effects of malaria infection. Full Abstract: Significant alterations in biochemical and haematological markers primarily characterise the development of malaria. The objective of this study was to analyse the serum lipid and protein profiles, as well as some haematological markers, in children under the age of five who are infected with the malaria parasite. The study was conducted at the Department of Paediatric, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Kaduna state. A cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 316 children with malaria and 100 children who were seemingly healthy and under the age of five. Among the 316 patients, 50 (15.8%) tested positive for malaria, while 20 samples from persons who appeared to be in good health were examined. Significant reductions (p<0.05) in cholesterol (mean±SD: 0.450±0.026 mmol/L vs. 0.907±0.069 mmol/L), triglycerides (mean±SD: 0.326±0.058 mmol/L vs. 0.461±0.123 mmol/L), and albumin (mean±SD: 5.23±2.82 g/L vs. 2.82±2.18 g/L) were observed in malaria-positive children compared to healthy controls, indicating potential biomarkers for malaria severity.