Impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children’s growth in rural Malawi
Abstract Asymptomatic malaria infections are common in endemic regions, yet their impact on children’s growth remains inadequately understood. This study investigates the association between asymptomatic malaria and 6-18-month-old children’s growth indices in rural Malawi. Dried blood spots from 840...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13331-6 |
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| author | Hany Sady David Chaima Lotta Hallamaa Ulla Ashorn Jomo Banda Charles Mangani John Kamwendo Kenneth Maleta Per Ashorn Yue-Mei Fan |
| author_facet | Hany Sady David Chaima Lotta Hallamaa Ulla Ashorn Jomo Banda Charles Mangani John Kamwendo Kenneth Maleta Per Ashorn Yue-Mei Fan |
| author_sort | Hany Sady |
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| description | Abstract Asymptomatic malaria infections are common in endemic regions, yet their impact on children’s growth remains inadequately understood. This study investigates the association between asymptomatic malaria and 6-18-month-old children’s growth indices in rural Malawi. Dried blood spots from 840 participants in Lungwena Child Nutrition Intervention 5 (LCNI-5) clinical trial were analysed at the baseline (N = 697) and every 3 months for a year. The associations between asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum (determined by real-time PCR), and growth indices (length-for-age Z score (LAZ), weight-for-age Z score (WAZ), and weight-for-length Z score (WLZ)) were examined. Across all ages (6 to 18 months), malaria-positive children had lower mean WAZ (-1.03 vs. -0.87, 95% CI -0.17 − -0.04) and WLZ (-0.03 vs. -0.13, 95% CI -0.22 − -0.06) compared to those uninfected peers, whereas LAZ showed no significant association. However, no significant impact was observed at individual time points, except at 12 months of age. After adjusting for confounders, malaria infection remained associated with poorer children growth outcome. Asymptomatic malaria is linked to impaired growth outcomes among young children in rural Malawi. Targeted interventions aimed at managing asymptomatic malaria could mitigate growth faltering and improve child health in malaria-endemic settings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-26f8bb769ee84524855ef59e1cd6b4af |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-26f8bb769ee84524855ef59e1cd6b4af2025-08-20T03:42:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-011511910.1038/s41598-025-13331-6Impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children’s growth in rural MalawiHany Sady0David Chaima1Lotta Hallamaa2Ulla Ashorn3Jomo Banda4Charles Mangani5John Kamwendo6Kenneth Maleta7Per Ashorn8Yue-Mei Fan9Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere UniversitySchool of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health SciencesCenter for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere UniversityCenter for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere UniversitySchool of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health SciencesSchool of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health SciencesSchool of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health SciencesSchool of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health SciencesCenter for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere UniversityCenter for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere UniversityAbstract Asymptomatic malaria infections are common in endemic regions, yet their impact on children’s growth remains inadequately understood. This study investigates the association between asymptomatic malaria and 6-18-month-old children’s growth indices in rural Malawi. Dried blood spots from 840 participants in Lungwena Child Nutrition Intervention 5 (LCNI-5) clinical trial were analysed at the baseline (N = 697) and every 3 months for a year. The associations between asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum (determined by real-time PCR), and growth indices (length-for-age Z score (LAZ), weight-for-age Z score (WAZ), and weight-for-length Z score (WLZ)) were examined. Across all ages (6 to 18 months), malaria-positive children had lower mean WAZ (-1.03 vs. -0.87, 95% CI -0.17 − -0.04) and WLZ (-0.03 vs. -0.13, 95% CI -0.22 − -0.06) compared to those uninfected peers, whereas LAZ showed no significant association. However, no significant impact was observed at individual time points, except at 12 months of age. After adjusting for confounders, malaria infection remained associated with poorer children growth outcome. Asymptomatic malaria is linked to impaired growth outcomes among young children in rural Malawi. Targeted interventions aimed at managing asymptomatic malaria could mitigate growth faltering and improve child health in malaria-endemic settings.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13331-6Asymptomatic malariaPlasmodium falciparumMalnutritionChild growthMalawi |
| spellingShingle | Hany Sady David Chaima Lotta Hallamaa Ulla Ashorn Jomo Banda Charles Mangani John Kamwendo Kenneth Maleta Per Ashorn Yue-Mei Fan Impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children’s growth in rural Malawi Scientific Reports Asymptomatic malaria Plasmodium falciparum Malnutrition Child growth Malawi |
| title | Impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children’s growth in rural Malawi |
| title_full | Impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children’s growth in rural Malawi |
| title_fullStr | Impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children’s growth in rural Malawi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children’s growth in rural Malawi |
| title_short | Impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children’s growth in rural Malawi |
| title_sort | impact of asymptomatic malaria infection on children s growth in rural malawi |
| topic | Asymptomatic malaria Plasmodium falciparum Malnutrition Child growth Malawi |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13331-6 |
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